Hello, stranger
by naley2347
Summary: Caroline Forbes came home tired from work and mostly hungry. But she has nothing to eat at eleven pm, so decides to call her friend Bonnie to "beg for food", but what happens when she accidentally dials the wrong number and ends up listening to the voice of a British man and his sexy accent?
1. Part 1

**Hello, stranger**

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Caroline came home and threw her bag on the couch. Her day had been tiring at work and her fingers ached a bit after typing more than expected until she had found the perfect words to review the party in details.

The blonde watched the clock on the kitchen wall, to where she had arrived running after taking a quick shower, and muttered:

"Great, eleven pm. – She had not eaten anything. And while she thought about it, she remembered that maybe she could call Bonnie, try to do a bit of drama, hoping that her friend could share a bit of dinner with her, of course, if she'd still something for her at eleven pm. –

_But this is wrong, Caroline Forbes. Very wrong! Probably wake up your friend at this hour to ask for food because you're a terrible cook and probably do not have anything good to eat in the fridge._ She thought about ordering a pizza, but before she could even realize it was already calling the specified number in a almost nervous way.

It was not just the embarrassing call and why she was calling Bonnie, was the idea of moving forward what was bothering her. How it was humiliating. Be about to ask to share food that way. _But Bonnie is so good cooking ..._ The phone rang and rang, and then, when it seemed she was about to be attended, came another round of ring tones. And Caroline began to interpret that as a sign that she should not be doing that, or maybe it was just her consciousness returning to normal.

However, when she was about to hang up the call and abort the situation, a man's voice answered:

"Hello?"

It was very noisy, probably a bar or something, and she instinctively took the cell phone away from her ear as if to protect her hearing from that unexpected audible chaos. But even in the midst the mess caused by the noise, the blonde had the feeling of having heard a different voice, with an accent maybe.

"Sorry, wait just a minute." - the voice shouted making it clear to her that the accent was from a British man. And Caroline wanted shout back that everything was fine, that she had just dialed the wrong number. –

But even with so much noise, she tried to say once and for all hoping not to run the risk of angering a strange via cell:

"I. ..this is a wrong call."

"Wait, what?!" – he shouted again, seemingly trying to get away from the noise to speak with her. –

"I said it was a wrong call!" - Caroline shouted back for the first time as she walked from one side to the other in her kitchen. –

"What?!" – he repeated making a face and walking away from the considerable number of people who inevitably rubbed their bodies against his as he tried to go somewhere quieter. Klaus took his other hand up to his ear making a gesture of someone who could not understand anything and added with another shout – "Sorry, love, I can not hear you!"

"It's all right!" – she shouted for the second time, despite being alone in the silent kitchen. It was better to wait to talk to him. And as she waited, she just wondered if he seemed to be thinking that she was a familiar woman for him or if he just liked to call women "_love_". Anyway, his voice was much more charming when he used that word, she caught herself thinking. –

Until finally the noise was going down just enough so that they could listen each other easyly. Then the voice with an accent speak without shouting for the first time:

"Hello? Are you still there?"

Caroline fell back lazily on one of the two stools of the small counter, sighed and said:

"Yes, hi." – she sighed a bit shy by his silence and confessed scratching the tip of the eyebrow with a finger. - "Sorry to bother you for all you had to do to get out of where you were just to talk to me, but it kind of was a wrong call."

"You don't say." - he said, not quite understanding why he was smiling as he said. Maybe it was something in her voice, something that seemed lovely for him. –

"Yeah, sorry." - She once again tried to make it clear how much she was embarrassed, but ended up doing something else before she could realize. Well, she was Caroline after all, and never passed up the opportunity to express her opnion if she had the chance. And maybe she felt a little will to do it when noticed that, surprisingly, he did not seem to be angry with her wrong call. - "There's a lot of noise there."

"It's because I'm about to watch a live show." - Klaus said as turned quickly to look at the direction he had walked sufficiently to get away as possible from the stage to talk to her. – "The singer is Alex Clare."

And that name made her abruptly jump from the stool and exclaim looking excited:

"Hey, I know this singer. He's great."

Klaus widened his eyes a little bit to the sudden excitement of her and smiled again already asking, strangely interested about her:

"Do you have a favorite song?"

"Yes, but if I tell you I'll have to kill you." - Caroline narrowed her eyes and pointed her finger in the air, indicating "the void" in front of her as if, in that way, she was talking face to face with the British guy and his sexy accent. –

"Why is that, love?" – he had been able to contain a new smile and now leaned against the wall of the place, leaning his head against the spot. Klaus did not knew why he was continuing that unexpected conversation, but he was strangely enjoying. –

"Nice try, but I will not say which song is." - she shook her head as if she had understood his game to discover one information that she would not give him: her name. Caroline went to the cupboard and found nothing to eat. Maybe it was the hunger that was making her was talk casually with a stranger. _It definitely should be this: hunger is affecting my brain._ - "Anyway, I think the point is that I've never watched a live show of a singer or band that I like."

"Why not?" – he raised an eyebrow waiting for her answer. For him to do something like that was extremely common. One of the most trivial things of a life. – "The world is full of culture, great cities, food, art and music... so, who would we be if we did not try to enjoy everything the world has to offer?"

"You know... I do not know." - she stopped in the middle of the kitchen frowning by noticing that way, because of a question brought by a stranger man who seemed to have the ability to say disturbing things, things that made her stay confused, in a good, but still disconcerting effect. Could she be so trapped in a life of small town that had begun to forget that there was something bigger out there waiting for her? The world, who knows? Then she added the best way she could do, really being honest while saying. - "I just have never been in one, but it's definitely something that's on my list of "_Things I want to do_"."

"And what else do you have on that list?" - he played really interested and without caring about the fact that the show was about to begin. Five minutes until Alex Clare sing the first song of the night. -

"Well, you can be sure that start a casually conversation with a wrong call was not there." – Caroline teased back as she passed to open the fridge door clumsily with her free hand and held the phone glued to her ear with the other. So grimaced and confessed trying to decide: chicken curry pie or cottage cheese. The first one was expired a week ago and the second would be in the next day. - "But for now, find something for dinner that is not out of the expiration date on my fridge works for me."

"Impressive how you think of big things." - He teased, obviously full of irony. But with a little urge to laugh. –

However, he did not expect was to get such a creative, logical and surprising answer from her:

"Hey, do not despise the little things." – she had scolded him first, using an almost badass tone that made him even more attracted. But the best was yet to come. Caroline closed the fridge door, giving up to possibly get food poisoning with the dining options and shot putting a hand on her waist – "All this is a gradual walk, starting with the little things, the basics, until you get to the big ones."

Klaus cracked a smile hearing her answer and left intentionally escape how intrigued he was by her:

"You seem to be fascinating, love."

"Wow, you always try to seduce your wrong calls?" – she had laughed in a way somewhat exaggerated as she made her way, barefoot, to the small but comfortable sofa in the living room. And before he could answer, she spoke again. - "Just to be clear, I'm too smart to be seduced by you."

"Well, that's why I like you." - He shrugged with a new smile on his face. _Who are you, love?_ He had never had never been like that because of a woman. _But you do not just any woman, is not it? _–

Caroline threw herself on the couch and hugged a sofa cushion trying to hide her own face for some reason_. He definitely is not having any effect on you, right?_ She closed her eyes for a moment. _No, of course not._ Then said after roll her eyes:

"Calling women "love" is intentional?"

"No, _love_, it's natural." – he emphasized "love" as if to test her reaction as he began to move away from the wall. Klaus sighed and said with malice - "But, of course, with beautiful women might also become a bit intentional."

"And how can you know that I'm beautiful?" – she teased biting her lower lip and hugging her knees with one arm. _But what the hell was that?_ Caroline widened her eyes to what she was doing. _Are you flirting with him?! _–

Klaus lied, feigning surprise and a bit of indifference in responding, obviously to leave her disconcerted, always wanting to test her reactions and come out victorious from that kind of game of teasers that they seemed to be playing with naturalness:

"And how can you know that I'm talking about you?"

"Oh, ouch." - she joked to disguise the embarrassment, though a part of her was still sure he was really talking about her. Mainly by the malicious way he had used. - "Okay, sorry. I can be a bit hasty."

"No, you just seems to have confidence, I like it." – he was sorry to have played with that. And Klaus hardly regretted something. –

"Whatever." – she could go over such comments more easily than imagined. Caroline knew that he was talking about her. And was not excessive confidence... she simply knew. So, came back to play while changing position, moving to lie on the couch. - "How can you know that I am not a married woman with seven noisy children, old, fat, toothless, with a big wart on the nose?"

"Bloody hell, you're a woman?!" - He pretended to be perplexed changing the tone of voice almost like he was terrified. And of course, he was satisfied because she had handled well with the previous "joke". –

And his phrase made Caroline laugh while Klaus, for the first time, began to laugh back, not by his own way, but by being led to laugh and smile by her contagious laugh.

"See, that's what I'm talking about." - She kept laughing while moving the phone to the other ear. - "You can not know whether I am or not beautiful."

"I have a feeling." – he heard himself admitting, without more games. Simply the truth. He was quickly becoming more drawn to her. - "And he's telling me you're beautiful, strong and full of light."

"Trying to seduce a stranger over the phone again?" – she opened her mouth in disbelief, even though, deep down, she was enjoying listening to him say. -

"Not this time, love." – Klaus shrugged as he approached the bar to get a drink. Obviously, the show had already started, but he was ignoring the fact. _What is happening to me?_ He stopped in his small footpath, thought a little and said without believing in his own words, even if they were true. - "In fact, all I'm trying to say is: I fancy you."

And as he readily admitted, soon heard Caroline mocking through a wry laugh.

"Is it so hard to believe?"

"Yes." – her eyes widened as she stopped laughing. –

But Klaus was not happy with her reaction. He had spoken the truth and she did not believe. _I'll take that as a challenge._

"Why? You are spontaneous, fun, honest, a bit skittish, have a lovely voice, knows how to leave a man fascinated and certainly is a beautiful woman." – He said such praises with ease. A casual conversation by cell phone and he could already say such things about her. It was at that moment that he realized that he still had no idea what was her name. Klaus's brows drew together as he ran the tip of his tongue over his lips (it was a habit he had). - "What is your name?"

Caroline had not even had time to catch her breath after all the praises, supposedly chosen by him to keep trying to seduce her, this time with more ease even though she would never admit it, when she found herself having to dodge the question. Her name. _Shit._ The girl closed her eyes trying to think of something. And less than a second later, she replied:

"Apple."

"Lovely name." – he nodded knowing, for some reason, she did not seem to be the kind of girl who would give such information so easily. So, smiled and teased as he took a beer on the counter. – "Pleasure, Apple, my name is Grape."

She tried to bite the sofa cushion to contain a giggle, but it was impossible to do. So quickly, Caroline was giggling with eyes closed and listening to him laugh back before saying with determination:

"Now tell me your real name."

"Sorry, I can't. I do not know you." – she bit her lip looking like a girl trying to make charm. _God, I'm actually flirting with him_. Then she sat back down on the couch teasing back - "Now why don't you not try to tell me your real name, huh?"

She did not expect him to tell the truth, but it was exactly what happened.

"No problem, love." – he drank some beer and replied leaning on the counter -"My name is Niklaus, but call me Klaus."

"Well, sorry for the mess, Klaus." – she said suddenly using a different tone. Less spontaneous and joyful. More embarrassed and somewhat elusive. The unexpected conversation was getting out of hand. _What am I doing?_ _What are __we__ doing?_ -

"This sounds like a goodbye." – Klaus pointed putting the empty glass on the counter, luckily he seemed to be hiding well the disappointment he was feeling by listening to the tone of her voice change like that. She seemed to want to escape and he could not really judge her for that. _After all, this was just a wrong call._ _She's nothing to me and I'm nothing to her_. –

"It is because it is." – the girl could also be good at hiding what she was feeling: a bit of sadness. It was strange to feel it, but she was sad. So, going to listen more carefully to the sound somewhat distant from the other side of the line, the sound of Alex Clare singing _Too Close_, she sighed and added giving a small smile. - "Go watch your show, okay?"

Klaus nodded silently as he rubbed his own neck in one hand. She was right, he knew. But before hanging up, took the opportunity to try to listen to her smile one last time:

"You can call me as many times as you want, unnamed woman."

And like that, he got exactly the reaction he wanted it: a little shy laugh and a smile. Caroline nodded in silence.

"Okay, bye."

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	2. Part 2

**Hello, stranger**

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The show now seemed somewhat unattractive. Of course, Klaus was having fun, but a part of him did not seem to be there, along with the other people, immersed in music. And even occupying a privileged position near the stage, he was not able to be there completely.

The truth was that he had been trying to stop thinking about her, but he could not. He had been trying to get her out of his head from the first second after her "_okay, bye"_. Not even a name. She clearly had decided frustrate him, was the only answer. _No, she just did not want to give her name to a stranger. _But keep this in mind, not diminished at all his frustration and torment because Klaus could not allow it to end that way, even if there was nothing between them to be finished.

He did not understand why he was not able to let it go, to let her go. _Go to hell, I do not care._ And as he thought this, had also begun to listen to the sound of another song from the repertoire of the show. Klaus began to frown already in the first seconds of the melody, initially without being sung, as if trying to associate something, find an answer. He closed his eyes in fierce concentration and almost instantly he opened them trying to stifle a crooked grin before any confirmation.

Then he touched the shoulder of a girl with red hair who stood beside him and asked trying to hide his expectation:

"Excuse me, love, but could you tell me what is the name of this song?"

…

She had gone to bed shortly after ending the call. However, before doing so, Caroline had given up completely the idea of calling Bonnie and beg for food or even order a pizza for, ironically, end up eating an apple (the word embarrassing that she had chosen to try vainly lie her name for him) as dinner. She had lost almost all hunger for some strange reason obviously related to the fact that she stopped talking to him. _What is happening to me?_, the girl had been questioned herself through a whisper mixed with a bitter smile as she lay in bed. _Him_. That unknown guy, Klaus... she could not take him off her head.

She tried to forget him sleeping. And so it was, at least until about one o'clock in the morning when the phone rang making Caroline wake up frightened, almost jumping off the bed.

"What the hell..." - She muttered grumpy as she took the phone from the bedside table and brought the screen closer to her face into the darkness of the bedroom. The blonde narrowed her eyes to see better, blinking a little, but quickly not recognizing the number that was there. So she simply ignored the call and placed the phone on the table once more while returning to lie down and close her eyes. –

She hoped that the phone stopped ringing so could go back to sleep and continue trying to forget a certain British man. However, a few seconds later, the phone started ringing again. In fact, the ringtones seemed even more insistent.

And this time, the girl decided to take action, answer the call that was already beginning to make her concerned by the possibility of some bad news. Then she sat on the bed and took the phone as she switched on the lampshade with the other hand to illuminate the space.

However, when she "accepted" the call, all she was able to hear was noise, shouts and screams. Caroline pulled the phone off the ear instinctively to protect her hearing as she grimaced. But soon the girl was able to hear the melody increasingly less distant as she approached the phone from her ear carefully. The rhythm known as well as the singing of the singer...she was recognizing the song. And above all, she was understanding what was happening. Caroline already had a smile taking care of her lips even before realizing it. He was calling to her, Klaus was calling her, and she was listening to her favorite song because of him.

"_I can find a way to make you love me more than you do_

_Caroline..._

_I don't want to waste my time unless I'm loving you_

_My dear..._

_Caroline, Caroline, Caroline..._

The live performance of the song should have been with probably close to achieving one minute long when she began to hear the chorus for the first time. The blonde turned to lie on the bed and continued listening with eyes closed, trying to stop smiling.

_We had each other for to short awhile_

_You caught my soul with your gentle smile_

_I can swim in your eyes_

_Rest my lips up on your sweet, sweet_

_You know just how I feel for you..."_

Caroline had no idea how he had found out, but she was loving it. _Dirty trick_. She shook her head in disbelief that Klaus was really doing it for her, a simple unknown and unnamed girl for him. _You can not be real, you know?_ So Caroline continued listening Alex Clare singing until the song reaches full five minutes and twenty seconds long.

However, as soon as the next song began, as she stood in line waiting to talk to him, the call has ended. The blonde sighed softly pulling the phone away from her ear and quickly felt the device vibrate in her hands over the bed sheet.

And soon after Caroline was staring the display of the cell, looking anxious to find a message from him there.

_I believe this is your favorite song._

_Ps: One less thing on your list._

The blonde looked at those words for a long time, she really had no idea how much, but she seemed to have become almost hypnotized by those two short sentences full of meaning. Until she had a reaction: save the number. _Klaus_, she typed. And just seeing his name saved there, she has already felt like smiling.

_Call him_, she said in thought as she watched the cell next to her in bed. Caroline bit her lip trying to control herself. _You can not seem desperately anxious to talk to him, you know?_ But she still hesitated, staring at the machine as if it were something tempting for her. _Call him at once!_

"Hello?" – Klaus suppressed the exhibition of his dimples feigning seriousness, pretending not to recognize the number as he walked away again from the stage, where Alex sang the penultimate song of the show. _That's it, love_, his suddenly inflated ego said in thought. –

"Thank you." – Her voice said through the sweetest whisper that he had heard coming from a woman. Caroline was not smiling, actually, she was serious and almost thrilled when said. No one had ever made a gesture like that before to her without any reason to do so. Especially some guy, after all, she was _never the one_, as once, long ago, she had said to Bonnie. –

"Anytime, love." – Klaus stopped a few meters from the exit door to answer without jokes, games or provocations. He had enjoyed to hear her say that way, mainly because he had not exactly in the habit of receiving a "thank you" from someone, whoever that "someone" might be. –

Silence stayed in the air for a second or two. And perhaps, if they could be seeing each other in that moment, an exchange silent glances would happen. Because, even over the phone, they seemed to act as if they were looking at each other.

"How'd you find out?" – she was the first to break the moment, looking more relaxed when she spoke again. –

"Let's say I ended up associating the fact that you have worked so hard to hide your name and the name of your favorite song." – Klaus smirked as he sat near the local bar counter. He remembered exactly how he understood that the only of Alex Clare's songs with a woman's name, had her name. _Caroline_. - "Because they were the same. Am I right, love?"

"Yes, you are." – she just admitted. It was the truth, and now he knew anyway. _I did my part. I was rational and not revealed my name easily_. Caroline sat, leaning her back to the headboard and fired abruptly changing the subject while putting a few strands of hair behind her ear - "Hey, you know what, you have just send away all my sleep." - she almost seemed amusingly angry. –

Klaus let out a little laugh and started the teasing game between them:

"Well, I'm flattered. Most men would love to hear this phrase coming from a beautiful unknown woman."

"Seriously?!" - she exclaimed rolling her eyes, moving her legs in bed, almost nervously affected by that. - "You never wastes an opportunity to flirt?"

"Not with my wrong calls." – he teased again through a smirk. –

Caroline stifled a smirk and finally decided to play along. She could play with it and, more importantly, she secretly liked to do it.

"And they happen often?"

"Just once, actually." – Klaus shrugged as he answered deliberately indifferent. –

"When?" – she wanted more and she got exactly what she wanted from him. –

"I'm talking to her right now."

_What the hell do you think you're doing?_ She had widened her eyes, finally realizing how that particular conversation was getting "dangerous". She could not let him get into her skin. _He is your wrong call, British and sexy, named Klaus, but still a wrong call._ She closed her eyes and regained "self control" before saying:

"Okay, back to the subject, the point is that you just woke me up at one in the morning and now I can not sleep anymore."

"Sorry, love. How can I acquit myself?"

Despite being warning herself seconds before about how "dangerous" that conversation was getting, Caroline found herself accepting his proposal of acquittal willingly and in a way quite fast. But that was not the problem. The problem was the solution she had found that he could redeem himself. She bit her lip and began softly, but firmly, almost innocent:

"Well, I was thinking... if you're not too busy watching the show, and you probably are, that we could continue talking casually until I fall asleep again."

She closed her eyes for a second and said _"What?!"_ silent to herself, so that he could not hear. Then, wait for an answer.

"It is certainly a peculiar idea." – Klaus made a point to observe as he delayed a proper answer just to let her in expectation, if that could really be happening. In fact, he knew the answer as soon as she had proposed, as he gave a smile of satisfaction without having paid much attention to the gesture. - "And my answer is yes."

_Shit. See what you got_. She obviously could not simply try to go back with the proposal because that was ... she was not sure. _Now it is done._ And she would have to carry on. Caroline sighed and Klaus was not able to listen, just as she wanted. She was about to say something when his voice spoke again:

"However, since this is a casual conversation, I suggest we drink something casually as we speak."

"Wait, what?!" – the girl shot as she shook her head clearly surprised, caught completely unprepared for something like what he had just said so calmly, transmitting a familiarity in his tone, as if his "suggestion" was something normal. Then she laughed full of irony before saying with a bossy tone of voice - "Hey, you're misrepresenting things, the purpose of the conversation is for you to return my sleep and do not get me drunk."

"You know how to make a man feel used, love." – Klaus pretended to be hurt by her words, obviously making clear his intention after raise both eyebrows at her "confession" about the real reason of that conversation between them. –

Caroline tried not to laugh, but ended up doing. The blonde pulled the phone from her ear for a second and she grimaced at the ridiculously stupid comment, but one that was, obviously, making her laugh. And then she brought the phone back to her ear:

"Okay, I confess that you might be a little funny."

"Praise is only for me feel better or is it true?" – he smiled at her laughter. Klaus liked to hear her laugh for some reason. Perhaps because the sound let him slight and delighted. -

"It is true." - she confessed honestly. –

Klaus began looking around, it was something he could no longer continue to ignore, something he had already begun to notice a few minutes before: people leaving. Yes, the show had just come to an end. But he was so immersed in her voice that had completely ignored the fact. He knew he had to go too, take a taxi to the modest but comfortable hotel where he was staying.

"Klaus?" – Caroline asked frowning not understand his sudden silence. But he soon he spoke again. -

"Come on, take a chance." - He gave a smile dimpled as if doing that, she would give in, even without be facing him to be affected by his charm, while ignoring for another few seconds the fact that he would have to get a taxi soon. He was approaching the bar as he tried to convince her. - "Drink something with me over phone."

Drink with him meant going against with the "purpose" of the conversation. And she could not allow. But, still stopped to think, strangely considering the offer even though she still thought it was something crazy. Caroline thought and thought and thought a little longer until she was absolutely sure she had no idea what she should respond. Until the instinct was faster, taking control of the girl's thoughts. _I can not believe I'm going to do this._

"Fine." – she muttered defeated as she jumped out of bed, turn on the bedroom light and went to make her way to the kitchen. –

"What do you have in the fridge?" - Klaus smiled victorious opening his wallet to buy something at the bar before he "tried" to leave that place. –

Caroline quickly arrived in the kitchen, walking on her tiptoes and, soon after, opening the fridge to look for a drink. Almost an hour and twenty minutes in the morning and she was awake, using a short pink silk nightgown, barefoot and with her blonde hair a little messy while she stood in front of the open fridge door to find a drink she could "share" with him over phone.

"I have water."

"Besides water, love." – he rolled his eyes in disbelief at what he had just heard. She might just be wanting to play with him. Klaus put a substantial and generous some money on the counter while he waited a better answer from her. He made a gesture with his hand as if asking the bartender to wait just a second.–

"Great, I do not have even a drop of wine." – the girl looked grumpy every time she identified a new empty space of food and drinks in her fridge. –

"Anything else in the freezer?" – he was getting impatient because the services of the bar were also about to be closed. Klaus needed an answer. -

Until he heard her sigh and just play as she took the bottle from the freezer and pushed the fridge door with her foot in an almost graceful movement:

"Consider yourself a lucky guy because I just found a little champagne." – Caroline ran to the counter and put the chilled bottle there. –

Klaus gave a silent giggle to her way before he spoke again:

"Champagne." – he took the phone away from his ear and mouth while talking to the bartender guy: "_Get me some champagne, mate_." But the answer that he received was somewhat disappointing: _"Sorry, we're closed."_ Klaus snorted angry, but soon found himself pushing a substantial amount of cash on hand of the guy: _"I buy the bottle, then."_ –

"Is there a problem?" – he heard her distant voice coming from the phone asking him as she poured some champagne in a glass. –

"Of course not, love." – Klaus shrugged as he left with a bottle of champagne in hand toward the exit doors to look for a taxi. Some people looked at him in a strange way, presumably because they were watching him leave the show house with a bottle of champagne in hand while speaking on phone. But, honestly, he could not care less. - "I was just thinking that this, champagne, is our thing now. "

"We do not have a_ thing_." – Caroline rolled her eyes. –

Luckily he had quickly found an available taxi as he left the place. But before he could enter the vehicle, Klaus opened the bottle of champagne after being standing on the sidewalk. The driver, more interested in the money he will receive, just ignoring the scene. Then the man with an accent sat in the back seat without slamming the door too hard, but making enough noise so she could hear from the other side of the line.

"Are you driving?!" – Caroline almost shrieked widening her eyes and almost gagging while drinking. She had also heard him open the bottle a few minutes before. –

"No, I'm in a taxi." - he smirked showing his dimples full of charm. - "Why? Worried about me, sweetheart? "

"No!" - She shot, hurried to make it clear to him. The girl almost hit the glass on the counter hard as she said. - "But I do not want to be responsible for your a traffic violation for you drinking and driving, or worse, an accident that could leave you probably bleeding or ... dead!"

"Well, there's no reason to worry about, love." - Klaus purposefully ignored "her reasons". – "I'm perfectly safe."

She was silent a few seconds, ignoring him a little anger and secretly, even though she would never admit it, at some point worried. But everything was fine, now she knew. Then, abruptly said grumbling:

"So, what do you wanna talk about?"

Klaus drank from the bottle before answering:

"I wanna talk about you." - - He looked the streets through the open car window as he squeezed his eyes to watch carefully the scenery of that small town: Mystic Falls. But soon he returned to provoke her with a malicious smile on his lips. He was strangely eager to know more about her. - "Your hopes, your dreams. Everything you want in life."

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	3. Part 3

**Hello, stranger**

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"Let's see: your name is Caroline and your favorite song from Alex Clare is called Caroline." – Klaus ignored the curious gaze of the taxi driver through the interior rearview mirror of the car by his unusual conversation with her while he was drinking champagne from the bottle. He squeezed his eyes and gathered eyebrows as he pointed every single detail he remembered about her as if it were something very intriguing. - "You've never been in a live show of a singer or band that you like and you do not quite know why. And you have a list of "_things I want to do_." – Klaus paused so she had time to digest it all, but soon added clearly still far from being satisfied with the number of information he knew about the girl." - "What else?"

"Wow, you kept all this to impress me?" - she mocked, even being really surprised. The blonde walked carefully up to the room, holding the phone with one hand while the other was busy holding the flare of the bottle of champagne and her glass in some inexplicably funny way. -

"What can I do... I'm a prepared man." – he smiled smugly. –

Caroline came into the room, quickly putting the bottle on the bedside table, right beside the lampshade, after sitting on the bed and cross her legs as she forced a laugh after a sip of the drink:

"Haha, very funny." – the irony was evident, and it made him feel like laughing. Klaus was enjoying the fact that she seemed to like to annoy and provoke him. –

She did this as well as Rebekah, but different from when his sister did, Klaus had no desire to start a fight. With Caroline, that was just an increasingly exciting game. She made him crazy, in a good way, for more unusual that it was for him.

"But let's first talk about _you_." – She raised her eyebrows as she pointed a finger that held the glass in the direction of nowhere. Caroline bit her lip looking fearful because she was about to make it clear that she had also kept many of the few things she had found out about him. But ended up saying anyway. - "Your name is Klaus. You are obviously British. But a British guy who is in the United States for some reason. You like to watch live shows, in particular, Alex Clare's shows. Ah, and of course, you like to flirt with your wrong calls." - she waited less than a second and immediately added using the same words. - "What else?"

"You kept all this to impress me, love?" – he would not miss the opportunity to broach the subject. But the truth was that Klaus had loved knowing that she had done the same to him. –

"I said nothing in particular, so do not get too excited. Only things that are easily inferred by facts and by your unsubtle way of trying to seduce your wrong calls. " - The blonde had tried to respond in the best way possible. Speaking the truth, but at the same time, trying to cover up any feelings behind of why she had kept those sorts of information about him. –

He smiled, shaking his head from side to side and quickly closing his eyes as he did. Klaus drank a little more and spoke again now with open eyes:

"You always have a prompt answer, is not it?" - she was really impressive, he could not deny. _Fascinating_. -

"And you always have a prompt question, is not it?" - She shrugged as she smiled pleased, drinking again. She expected him to speak again, but it seemed that for the first time, Klaus was letting go, he was stopping to insist. So she took the opportunity to return to the subject - "So, what else?"

Klaus sighed a bit and touched the shoulder of taxi driver indicating with his hand while saying: _"Turn left and then right, mate."_ Then, he came back to lean his back against the upholstery of the back seat before answering naturally:

"Well, I'm a single man."

"Really?" – she rolled her eyes putting a hand on her forehead: it was unbelievable. He did not give up. But not that it was something at all bad, she thought deep down. The girl put the glass on the side of the bottle and lay face down on the bed, while supporting her elbows against the mattress. - "I do not see why this information would be relevant."

"You have a boyfriend?" – he snapped without appearing anxious or even in anticipation as was already starting to get the money to pay the man. –

Caroline buried her face in the pillow for a second trying to stifle the urge to blush and smile at his annoyingly tempting insistence on trying to seduce her. And now she was sure of at least three things about him: 1) he liked to flirt with her. 2) he seemed to be willing to insist on trying to seduce her. 3) and he, definitely, always had a prompt question.

"Do not even try, you're not telling me anything relevant to ask me something in return." – she pressed the pillow against her chest as she scolded him. –

"Fine." – Klaus grumbled defeated. He would give something, anything to know the answer to his previous question. - "I'm in the United States because of my sister." – he admitted, but listening to her silence, Klaus concluded that it was not enough. So initially snorted annoyed, but soon spoke again giving more details as he drank some more champagne. - "Rebekah, my sister, she met a boy in Italy, Stefan, they got engaged and now they are making a brief visit to his brother who lives here." - Klaus decided to stop to test how she had received the information - "Relevant enough for you?"

"Yeah, I think so." – she smiled a little by his grumpy way over phone. –

The car was already parked in front of the _modest_ hotel, one of the best in town, where he was staying. But before paying the man down from the taxi and he said without giving her a chance to say something before:

"My turn. You have a boyfriend?"

"Seriously, again?!" – Caroline eyes widened as she rolled on the mattress by nervousness. - "No, I do not have a boyfriend." –

But before he could open a satisfied smirk for the answer after paying the driver and open the door to get out of car, she said grimacing:

"But I had one ... about three weeks ago."

"What happened?" – Klaus frowned and, without realizing it, his jaw was clenching at the thought of a faceless man with her ... before him. He obviously had no right to be mad, but that was what he was feeling at the time, slamming the door of the taxi with a little more force than necessary to make his way to the door that would lead to the hall of the hotel. –

"We've become very different persons from those who we once were. Or at least I was. Plus, I found out he cheated on me with a slut named Hayley." - she made a new face as she said. A grimace of repulsion, putting her tongue out. If Tyler were to betray her as had really happened, he could have done at least with someone less slut. - "But not that it matters to me. Not anymore."

He walked up the elevator with the bottle in his hand, still under the curious eyes of the few people who were awake at that time of morning. Then, suddenly, Klaus added serious:

"If I could do something at the time, this guy would never hurt you."

She froze for a second, surprised and touched by what he had just said. Klaus could be really sweet when he was not trying to impress her. And she did not even know if he had any idea of that. Caroline changed the phone to the other ear after put a few strands of hair behind her ear.

"Thanks, but, anyway, like I said, it is not matters to me anymore." - it was the truth. Who could imagine that after crying for Tyler three weeks before, she would be there, naturally talking about that subject over the phone with a stranger for whom she was inexplicably more and more drawn to at each new second? – "So, yes, I do not have a boyfriend."

_Good. _ He allowed himself to smile as the elevator rose to the fifth floor of the building.

"You have a job or live only on your income from an English lord title?" – was finally her turn to ask something about him. –

Klaus laughed at her choice of words to name his possible social status in London while he leaned against one of the walls of the elevator, where he was alone.

"Well, I do not have a title for English lord, but my family has a small but very profitable business."

"And you can talk about this business for a stranger?" – she joked raising an eyebrow. Caroline was lying in the little pink nightgown with her bare thighs because she had her legs crossed in the air as she stared at the ceiling of the bedroom. –

"Interesting you say this, because, for more morbid as it may seem, all strangers eventually have to talk about my business at some point in their lives." – he watched the numbering of the small digital display of the elevator increase, approaching the fifth floor. –

"I'm listening..." – the blond clearly encouraged him to pursue the matter. –

Klaus stepped off the elevator and walked down the aisle to a stop in front of the apartment, putting the bottle down to open the door in a weird way: turning the key with the left hand, and he certainly was not left handed. Then he entered the apartment finally finishing with the whole mystery:

"My family sells coffins."

"Christ, what morbid thing!" – she snapped making a face and jumping from the position she was to sit on the bed hugging her pillow quickly like a scared little girl. -

"I told you." – he laid on one of the couches of the living room practically kicking his shoes and socks off his feet. - "_Mikaelson Coffins_ is the name of our small business." – Klaus sighed, staring at the ceiling and soon made a point of saying gently using a smooth tone of voice. He really knew how to be sweet and worried about her without even realizing. - "But do not be afraid, love."

"I know, no problem, it's just..."- the girl let out a giggle a little nervous throwing the pillow away from her as if already fully recovered from the initial shock. - "...looks like a creepy episode of Six Feet Under."

Klaus raised his eyebrows clearly surprised that she mentioned that name in particular. Then he smiled saying while swapping the phone to the other ear and went to rest his right hand behind his head:

"This series is one of my favorites."

"I can see why." – she laughed sneering. Certainly looked like something he would like to watch, or, at least, something he would certainly be well acquainted. Each episode opened with a death - and by extension - a new client to the business of Fisher family: the funeral home. –

"And I can see that you seem to hate this series." – he pointed to himself nodding his head. –

"Oh, it scares me a little, but even so, I watched all five seasons." – Caroline leaned to the side, grabbing a glass of champagne again. Then paused for a second narrowing her eyes while thinking about it and eventually realized. - "But, you know, maybe I have also watched for another reason."

"Which is ..." - It was his turn to encourage her looking interested. -

"My friend, Matt, told me I could not watch the series." – she admitted – "_It's not your style, Care_." – Caroline changed her voice in a funny way that made Klaus want to smile. She probably tried in vain to imitate what should be the voice of her friend. - "And, well, whenever anyone tells me I can't do something, I prove them are wrong." – she shrugged and looking proud of it and shortly after drinking the last drops of champagne into the glass. - "So I watched all seasons and I ended up really liking."

Listen that from her, made him feel unusually comfortable enough to confess after once again drinking from the bottle, which was on the carpet in front of the couch:

"I do not deal very well with people who tell me what I can or can not do. Nobody controls me or commands me. I would not allow such a thing."

"Yeah, me too." – the girl nodded her head slightly thinking about what he had said. –

"What is your job?" – Klaus smirked changing the subject. It was really good to talk to her. Mainly because he could not do it with virtually any of the people he lived. -

"I write for the local newspaper. Reviews of a section devoted to charity events and parties in general." – the blonde seemed excited about it, after all she really liked her job. - "It's a kind of gift of the two things I'm good at doing: organizing parties and point their defects." – Caroline thought about what she should ask and was soon already indirectly asking, not giving him time to make any comments about her job. - "Something you love to do."

"Drawing and painting are one of my greatest passions." – He disliked the idea of being controlled, but liked having everything under his control, under his eyes. Klaus sat on the couch and naturally added – "It is a metaphor for control, you know? Painting. Every choice is mine. The canvas, the color. As a child, I had neither a sense of the world nor my place in it, but art taught me that one's vision can be achieved with sheer force of will."

"Now that you said it, I think I also have a metaphor for control." – she had never really stopped to think about it, but now everything was kind of fitting. – "My mania, classified as somewhat exaggerated by my friends, to give orders to others when I want everything to be perfect. Especially in the context of a party."

Klaus took advantage to say full of malice, because, yes, he had not given up of flirting with her:

"Well, looks like we are the same."

"Obviously in different contexts." – the girl rolled her eyes also giving a silly grin. He did not really give up. –

"But still the same, love." – he insisted on purpose. But soon changed the subject. - "What about you?"

"Singing, although I do not do it long ago." – she seemed a little embarrassed to have said that, but it was true. Since "_Eternal Flame_", that night on Mystic Grill, at the time of high school. Then, over the years, she only sang in the shower or when she was alone at home. –

"Sing something for me." – Klaus shot, leaving her initially speechless. -

Until she finally was able to speak after laughing nervously:

"What? No! Of course not! " – Caroline's eyes widened as she practically shouting to make it clear to him that would not happen. –

"Why not?!" – he laughed hearing her talk like that. _You get even more adorable when you're angry and nervous at the same time, love._ Klaus did not remember to laugh and smile so much in a long time. It was not common for him to do, but with her it was almost natural. –

Caroline tried to get quieter, then jumping out of bed to grab the phone charger in one of the drawers of the nightstand. The battery was about to get a little below half, but she wanted to start charging as soon as possible. Because she did not have the slightest desire to sleep and she was loving talk to him. _My favorite wrong call._ In fact, the only one she had.

"I do not know, perhaps because I'm talking casually about my life with a wrong call while I'm drinking champagne?" – the girl made a little remark as she was plugging the cable into the phone and then on the wall socket next to her bed. –

"Hey, I'm running the same risks that you, love." – Klaus shrugged. He had begun to walk relaxed around the apartment in bare feet. –

He was silent for some time and she decided to do the same as she lay in bed once again. Caroline stroked her own hair, keeping her eyes fixed on the ceiling until she spoke again, this time in a whisper:

"What are you thinking?"

Klaus stood on the balcony of his bedroom, watching the privileged view from the fifth floor. He thought for a second or two and admitted serious, without games:

"I'm thinking this is something quite surprising since I'm not very sociable and don't easily let someone in, especially a woman."

"This leads me to another question..." – she felt a small wave of chills go through her body by the way he had said that. Chills that made her gasp under her breath without realizing it. Caroline closed her eyes and quickly changed the subject. - "How do you describe yourself?"

"Are you sure you want the truth?" – he smiled a little bitter. –

"Always."

"All right, then." – Klaus nodded, almost hesitated initially, but ended up talking again after changing the phone position, moving to his right ear. - "Basically, I like to be in control, have often a bad temper, I get quite grumpy, I can be somewhat impulsive, proud and stubborn. And my sister calls me _narcissistic jerk_ frequently." - He leaned against the railing putting his left hand inside his trouser pocket. - "Are you still willing to continue this conversation after that?"

"Yes." - The answer was objective and firm. -

"Why?" - He was trying to understand. -

"Because if you are able to identify and admit your faults is a good start. Everything is a matter of work in progress. And I think all you need to do is work on it. But there is a strange thing in how you see yourself, you know? "

"And what do you think it is?" – Klaus frowned, looking even more amazed at her way. Caroline had said with the strength he had imagined that she had: _I have a feeling. And he's telling me that you are beautiful, strong and full of light. _Yes, he seemed to be right after all. –

"You did not say anything positive. Absolutely nothing."

"Perhaps because I do not find something positive in myself very easily, love." – he shrugged almost "_okay_" with that. Klaus usually did not care about it. –

"But I do." – Caroline confessed blushing. She even offered a sweet smile as she said to him. For some reason, she felt he needed to hear from her... from someone. - "The guy who was talking to me all this time was far from being described that way."

He seemed in a trance listening to her say. Klaus did not believe that Caroline was saying that to him. But he was strangely happy to listen.

"That's probably because I do not recognize myself near you." - And perhaps that was why he was so fascinated. She was challengingly exciting for him. Without realizing he was letting someone in, someone break his resistances. No one ever did that to him. And Caroline, through a simple wrong phone call, was doing it with the most natural way of the world. There was something about her, something unexplainable, that seemed to be drawing him more and more to her. And every second that passed all he wanted was to know more about her. Learn everything about her. –

"Your turn." – she smiled timidly fleeing from tension and "depth" of their moment. –

"Tell me about your family."

"That's easy." – Caroline stood aside, leaning one elbow on the mattress as her hand served as support for her face. - "It is a very small family. My father died some years ago, he and my mother were already separated for many years, well, since he left home not very amicably after admitting he was gay. I have no brothers or sisters. And my mother lives in a house not far from mine now. " - she lay near the edge of the bed because the phone connected to the charger in the wall socket. - "What about yours? I mean, besides your sister? "

"Oh, I fear that my family is a little more complicated than yours." – Klaus was already decided to look for the phone charger. However, in his case, the battery was close to end. He always left the cable inside the suitcase. - "I have three brothers. Elijah, Finn and Kol. As my relationship with Rebekah, my with Elijah is quite tumultuous. She seems to insist on butting heads with me and he seems to insist on wanting to save me from myself. Kol and I fought more than anything else, but perhaps because he is the youngest. What about Finn, let's say, we are not very close. My mother has a very comfortable life in London." - Klaus took the suitcase from the closet and walked over to his bed - "My turn." - He wanted to change the subject. –

But before he could formulate a new question, she asked amusingly grimacing:

"Your ear is tingling?"

"Yes, love." – he smiled changing the phone once again to the other ear while opening his suitcase. The truth was that he had no idea how long they were talking. The only thing he was sure of was that more and more seemed early in the morning. Yes, there was no sun rays or similar things, but the morning was approaching. – "Where have you been besides the lovely place you live?"

"I've never really been anywhere." – she sighed a bit sad about it. –

"I'll take you wherever you want." – Klaus shot giving "enthusiasm" to her by the way he had said. He could already hear her laughing. - "Rome, Paris, Tokyo."

"Wow, your flirting never stops." – Caroline disconnected the charger from the wall and phone to finally roll over in bed while trying to stop laughing. –

Klaus had begun to search for the charger on the phone inside the bag, but could not find anything there. _Where is it?_ He started to throw some clothes on the bed, but the situation would not change. The phone was very close to discharge, so he _needed_ that charger.

"Put yourself in my place, love. Flirt with you is something almost uncontrollable." – he started to play with her again with a mischievous smile. –

"I can survive without having to flirt with you." - And that answer, she knew it was just a new way to continue flirting with him. He was right, even though she was not admitting openly: flirting with him was something almost uncontrollable. Although, well, was not exactly what he had suggested. Klaus spoke about her and not about himself. -

Until he finally found. But not what he was looking for and yes a little note written by hand. Klaus frowned and began to read the note:

_The receptionist let me in, Nik. Tomorrow I return your charger. _

_Ps: You knew I'd forgotten mine in London, right?_

He widened his eyes in disbelief. _Hell, this can not be happening_. _Bloody hell, Rebekah!_, he thought as he threw the suitcase hard against the wall.

"Klaus?!" – Caroline shot immediately worried as she sat on the bed hastily. –

However, he had no more time to lose. He shoud act fast. Klaus tried to regain control as he walked across the room from one side to the other:

"Where are you?"

"What do you mean?" – she frowned clearly confused by the question taken from nothing. –

"I'm in a small town located in southwestern Virginia called Mystic Falls." – he had said so fast that she was getting dizzy. Klaus did not have much time, in fact he practically had no more time. Of course he could talk to her at another time, but he could not stand to wait. Klaus needed to know her. - "Where are you?!"

"I'm also in Mystic Falls." – she answered yet without understanding where he intended to go with it. - "Why?"

"The bloody phone battery is running low." – Klaus had approached the window, watching the morning becoming increasingly evident, even without sunshine. So spoke at once. - "Tell me where we can meet."

"What?!" – Her voice faltered mixed with an almost shout of shock. He definitely knew how to be direct and unsubtle, leaving the girl speechless. Until she stammered as she blinked eyes. – "I...I...wait. You mean _now_?!"

"_Yes_, where, Caroline?!" – He had practically screamed as he ran his hand over head with eyes closed as if she was driving him crazy. –

The phone failed for a second. The battery would be completely gone. But he finally heard an answer then. Caroline also shot almost screamed so he could listen:

"Town Square! Town Square, you hear me?" – the blonde seemed nervous at the possibility of her not being heard by him. - "I'll be the blonde girl in a dress!"

"And I'll be the guy with an accent!" – he screamed back and finally the battery died. –

End of the call.

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_**Guys, the fourth and final part is coming.**_


	4. Part 4

**Hello, stranger**

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Some time later.

Town Square, the square of Mystic Falls, was located in the city center, more precisely, across from the Mystic Grill, a bar she used to frequent. Caroline left the car, still trying to figure out how she could be doing that. Meet him. However, the "him" was the wrong call from the night before. Klaus had said he wanted to meet her because the phone battery was running out. And she was hesitant to do it: meet a stranger like that. However, a second later all she had managed to do was practically scream _"Town Square!"_ for him, almost as if she was suddenly nervous by the possibility of miss out on the chance to actually meet him personally. Because she wanted. It was all she wanted.

And now she was there, walking slowly around the park like area in the middle of the seats, obviously empty at that time. Waiting. "_I'll be the guy with an accent"_, he had played before the call be ended abruptly.

As she looked slightly sideways, as if seeking him, Klaus approached her silently after starting to get some distance from his car parked across the square minutes before. Yes, he had arrived first at the meeting place. He had curious eyes to observe every bit of her while she seemed not to have noticed his presence there. _"I'll be the blonde girl in a dress."_ It was exactly what he could see now. Klaus narrowed his eyes and analyzed her with a small smile forming.

Caroline had a pale complexion, it seemed to have blue eyes and, obviously, medium length blonde hair which she was wearing naturally waved. She had a slim, toned and athletic figure. She seemed to have a lovely girlishness, but at the same time a sensuality and boldness of a mature woman.

The girl wore a floral dress, a Abstract Belted Shift Dress that showed her legs and part of bare thighs to make any man who had the slightest ability to appreciate the true beauty and natural sensuality of a woman losing his head. Her make-up choice could be classified as a _real natural look_, with little to no make-up. And she could get even more beautiful that way unlike most of the women who seemed to "cover up" their imperfections often with excessive makeup. Maybe a little makeup was only due to the fact that almost four in the morning and any normal woman would be without makeup at that time, but he had a feeling that that was her style. Caroline was unique, real. _Genuinely beautiful. _

"Caroline?"

"_I'll be the guy with an accent". _She had heard the characteristic voice... the voice she had been listening for hours over the phone finally say her name in person for the first time. And without realizing it, her body had felt a wave of goosebumps even before she come face to face with him just by the fact that Klaus seemed to have an extraordinary ability to say her name in a way unusually slow, as if he lingered in every syllable of her name, leaving even more evident his accent, in a strangely natural way. Then she turned toward the owner of that sexy voice to see him very closer to her.

Klaus was clearly an attractive figure. His height was probably something close to 5'11. He had curled light-brown hair and light blue-green eyes that contrasted with his pearl-white skin and she had the feeling that annoyingly adorable dimples could be formed on his face when he smiled. He was a well-built man or maybe that was just a euphemism and really meant he was hot and beautiful before the eyes of any minimally sane woman. Klaus possessed the delicate and yet masculine face. An elegant and classic air that seemed to come from some kind of noble man come out of 15th century and, paradoxically, a way sexy and stylish characteristic of a modern man, a man who dressed marvelously well, exhaling charm through every piece of clothing and accessories.

The handsome British man wore a casual style of clothing: black boots obviously inspired by the military style, jeans, shirt graphite gray with v neck made by the three buttons invitingly open. He seemed to like to use accessories to make him even sexier: a discrete leather bracelet and a necklace.

Caroline took a small step toward him as she folded her arms over her chest. She looked at the British man and said an almost adorably timid tone for the first time looking at his eyes:

"Hello, stranger."

"Hello, beautiful." - he said with his hands into the front pockets of his jeans with a gentle but charming smile. And she was right after all. He could show a pair of annoyingly adorable dimples even when he gave the smallest of smiles. -

"You realize that it's four o'clock in the morning and we're standing in the middle of the public square, right?" - She joked lifting her chin at him perhaps to disguise the small wave of chills she felt listening to him call her that way. –

Klaus shrugged and showed his dimples at her for a second time:

"And you realize that I do not care, right?"

She shook her head as if in disapproval and rolled her eyes at his answer. _Well, looks like something you would answer anyway. _And, strangely, they went into a deep and sudden silence. Maybe they had talked by phone too much and now they were without new issues or simply too tired to continue. Or perhaps it could be a third option, one that she had not cogitated and one that, indeed, was true: he seemed intrigued by her, by her beauty for some reason. As if she was not of that world.

"What you looking at?" - Her voice came out in a whisper that seemed to have be blended with an sigh at some point. _Why do you look at me like that?_ No one had ever looked at her like that. Not even Tyler. But also, for some reason, she liked the idea that was precisely _him_, of all men she had had the opportunity to meet, was looking at her like that. –

Klaus wanted to do something, something he had been thinking all night. But just simply responding in a whisper full of charm in the most natural way possible with his blue-green eyes staring her, as if stuck on her:

"You."

And he could not leave his thoughts and intentions more evident than with that simple word and the way it was spoken. Caroline hoped she did not blush in front of him. _God, I am no longer a stupid teenager! He's just trying to seduce me as he has been trying over the whole night. But why it had to be so hard to resist now?_ She chose to break the moment smiling sweetly at him as she reached out for a proper greeting:

"Well, it is nice to properly meet you, wrong call." – she expected him to return the gesture and shake her hand, but he looked again a little strangely and yes, she had to admit, tantalizingly paralyzed watching her intently for a second or two. –

Caroline raised an eyebrow and rehearsed a little bemused smile, but humorous as if she were waiting for the his reaction. Until he finally came out of the trance and stretched his hand towards her. However, what happened next was just so unexpected and sudden that she could not even be able to react.

Yes, Klaus had greeted her with a handshake. Exactly as expected. But he had not stopped there. Then, immediately after politely shake her hand, he pulled her against him and with the other hand, brought her face to his, crushing his lips on hers.

He felt a desire to taste her mouth, a desire that was stronger than anything else he had ever had and, without thinking further, he obeyed that desire. The second Klaus's lips touched hers, Caroline stiffened in surprise. Her eyelids had opened completely while one of his hands held her face glued to his as he thought she would get away abruptly. However, the simple idea of escaping had did not even crossed her mind, though a reaction like a slap in his face or harsh words of reproach for his audacity could be natural and applicable to that situation.

To feel his mouth moving over hers in a way that made her feel incredibly unexplainable things, to experience the taste of those lips provocatively and seductively inviting, Caroline's eyes had closed easily swayed by desire, as she went to break the handshake, which was still there, to be able to bring her hands up to his face, bringing even more to hers.

Until he broke the kiss as abruptly as he had started, leaving her even more confused, breathless and even a bit dizzy for having lost his lips so quickly. He put some distance between them and watched her initially try to find words to formulate something, anything that could minimally express what she was thinking about what had just happened between them.

"Ah ... what was that?" – she finally said still trying to recover herself after the kiss. It was strange to say it, when, despite being his initiative, they had quickly got immersed _together_ in the maddening sensations of that kiss. –

Klaus opened his arms in the air confessing smoothly:

"This is me after getting the whole bloody night wondering how it would be kiss you." - He was determined, had conviction of each one of those words while gasping slowly, devouring her with his blue-green eyes. Klaus had also tried to imagine how she would be physically speaking, especially as he took the car and drove to the meeting place. And he felt that she was beautiful but he could never imagine that she would be _so beautiful. She's stunning_. -

"Well, what do you think now?" - She tried not to blush and smile at the same time through the sentence a bit shy, almost on expectation, but also apparently relaxed. But Caroline was not sure that she was succeeding in the task. The girl was flirting with him. Openly. She just knew it it was a madness thing, but one she was loving, one that was leaving her breathless, with irregular heartbeats, goosebumps, and, secretly, with a growing heat between her legs before his eyes. –

Everything got even more exciting when she watched him quickly run the tip of his tongue over his lips before answering. However, the gesture did not seem to be intentional. In fact, it seemed natural. Naturally sexy. So, he just let out a small maliciously smirk and admitted at once taking a step forward, again toward her:

"I think I need more."

And, for the first time, she allowed herself to smile, unashamed to express what she was feeling as she fired in a way almost hastily fun for him as if she was finally comfortable enough to confess also with a nod:

"God, me too."

And within a second, everything happened again too fast, too eager. They barely knew each other and they were about to kiss for the second time in less than one minute. And that's exactly what happened next. It could not tell for sure from whom had been the initiative. In fact, both had done almost simultaneously. Caroline took a step forward as if to grab the back of his neck in her hand, pulling him to her, but Klaus was already pulling her hips against his as he brought their lips to be attached once again.

Instinctively, Caroline's arms rose and wrapped around his neck. One of the hands of Klaus left her hips to go the long way over her back, from bottom to top, sliding against the material of her dress, pressing gently, while the other hand played with her blonde hair, burying his fingers through the silky and soft strands located at the base of her nape. Her lips began to open up to his increasingly wild kisses. Klaus's tongue came tantalizingly humid and hot, taking up all the space he wanted, provided willingly by her. Until he finally touched hers.

He had never desired a woman as much as he was desiring her now. Not only physically, sexually. The most unbelievable and astonishing to Klaus was that he was also desiring her emotionally. That was the strangest thing: his heart was beating irregularly. And her heart seemed to have found the same irregular rhythm as his while a heat wave passed through her thighs, up throughout the body until, discreetly, she felt her nipples become slightly stiff as she let out a soft sound, not of protest, but of pleasure. The tongues of them seemed starved, seeking to explore the other without pausing for breath.

They kissed for longer than they thought be possible until he broke the kiss, seductively pulled the hair of the girl's shoulders to expose her neck. And soon he was already there, experiencing the taste of her skin. They were standing in the middle of the public square of the town, a small breeze and a slight mist of one morning without rays of sunshine around them. Klaus was hugging her waist tight against his body while he had his face buried in her neck, kissing and almost sucking her soft and perfumed skin in his mouth and lips. Caroline, with her eyes closed and mouth partially open, let out a small moan of pleasure hugging his neck, clinging to him as she tilted her head to the side, creating space so he could continue working on her neck.

She could not really be wanting to give herself to him. It was too fast. They barely knew each other. But the truth was that she wanted. And Klaus was eager to have her right there if it was not something crazy to think about, but he was unable to think straight around her, that was obvious.

Until, even reluctantly, it was her turn to break the moment suddenly. To breathe, maybe. Or maybe it was just a bit of rationality returning to her mind.

"This is crazy. A complete madness..." - she panted with eyes closed, her voice wavering as she leaned her forehead on his. Caroline still had her arms around his neck. - "Klaus...we barely know each other."

"I'm trying to know you since the first call..." - Klaus teased telling the truth. He also panted as he said and took advantage to rub her hips with both hands. However, his eyes were open, despite having his forehead against hers. –

Caroline sighed quietly and let a little smile take over her lips before she could catch herself admitting:

"This seems so wrong but feels so right."

Klaus smiled watching her say with her eyes still closed.

"I'm completely agree." - he remarked and ended up taking a swift and eager kiss from her lips before he continued. And Caroline deepened the kiss with the same intensity, sucking his mouth on hers during that short time. Klaus waited a second and changed the subject breathing heavily against her lips. - "Promise me something."

"What?" - she opened her blue eyes to finally get back to face him. –

Klaus waited a few seconds, obviously with the intention of making some stupid mystery, something he was succeeding, until he gave a crooked smile and answered:

"A date."

And that made her instantly let out an entertaining laugh for him, inducing him to give back a little laugh.

"It's kind of late for that, don't you think?" - Caroline shrugged while trying to aim with her gaze the current situation of the two: in each others arms in the middle of Town Square at that moment, she believed, basically empty except for the two, after exchanging kisses definitely classified as inappropriate for two people who had, technically, just met. –

He also shrugged and raised his eyebrows, teasing, using the same words spoken by her shortly before as he pressed her body a little more against his:

"We barely know each other, right, love?" - watching her roll her eyes to his way of saying. - "Nothing we can not solve easily."

"Okay." - she pretended to be surrendering to his little "speech". The blonde sighed quietly and added close to his lips. - "We have a date."

Caroline slowly removed her arms from his neck and started to walk away, one step at a time, walking backwards to continue staring at him as if that was her goodbye. But he would not let her leave that way. So, Klaus quickly grabbed her against him to try a new kiss, but the girl ended up being faster than him for the first time, preventing the gesture when she placed one of her fingers over his lips partially open.

"Today is _tomorrow_, remember?" - the clear sky of the beginning of a beautiful morning was witness of her words as she pointed through a whisper, meeting the blue-green eyes of Klaus as she kept her finger on his lips. Caroline wanted to kiss those lips again, but she would not. - "Which means that our date is _today_." – So, she finished giving a peck on his cheek. – "So, see you later, stranger."

And she walked away again. This time, to leave once and for all while Klaus remained standing in the middle of the square watching her go with a satisfied smile on his lips.

"Well, you always can call me, love." – he joked opening his arms, saying loud enough for her to hear, even with her back turned to him as she walked to her car parked there. -

She smiled stupidly and turned to him as she opened the car door. The girl teased back before leaving:

"You can call me too."

Klaus nodded at her and turned to walk to his car, parked on the other side of the square, as he said to himself in a whisper:

"See you later, Caroline."

Coincidence. Chance. Fate. Or perhaps just a wrong call. Call it what you want. They did not care about the whys that had driven each one until that moment. The paths were irrelevant since, in the end, they could find each other. But if that was the end? No. That was just the beginning, the beginning of something new.

The beginning of something unique.

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_**This is the end. Or should be.**_

_**I hope you enjoyed these four parts. But, now I must say, until next chapter. This one-shot is out of control, initially should have only a part, then three, then four and now ... I do not know anymore. So, I'll try to do a fic with more chapters.**_


	5. Part 5

**To see some things of the chapter. (remove the spaces)**

**www. naley 2347 . wordpress . com**

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**Hello, stranger**

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The girl was sleeping or trying to sleep, after all stay awake until after four in the morning was not exactly something easy to do or at least that's what Caroline thought until she started talking with a certain wrong call. But everything indicated that she would have no peace because the phone was already vibrating again beside her in bed.

The girl grumbled, but ended up saying with a smile and a tone of voice that indicated she was certainly being awake at that time:

"Try to get some sleep, okay?"

"At lunch time?" – another voice said clearly confused. –

Caroline jumped out of bed with wide-eyed and completely messy hair as she shot almost nervously embarrassed:

"Oh my God, Bonnie..."

"Who did you think was calling?"

Caroline allowed herself to yawn, something she was sure it would be nothing sexy for a beautiful British guy, if he was the person to be on the other side of the line. _Not that I want to look sexy for him, of course._ So she decided to confess:

"Okay, this is completely crazy, but here goes anyway: Someone I met today..." - she initially hesitated but just saying - "... at four in the morning. "

"Wait, what?!" – Bonnie's eyes widened –

However, the blonde girl not even seemed to have cared about the reaction of her friend, she had just begun to talk while playing with her own hair:

"He is British, annoyingly beautiful and sexy..." - was the first time she was so openly confessing in a loud voice to herself and another person. Caroline looked up, closed her eyes and added - "... and, God, the accent..."

"Wait a second, what are you talking about?" – Bonnie knew she needed to contain the enthusiasm of her friend. _After all, when Caroline starts talking she can not stop anymore_. -"None of this makes sense, Care!"

"Basically I dialed the wrong number last night and he got the call." - She had finally paused to breathe properly. -

"It still makes no sense."

Caroline rolled her eyes saying serious, resuming the subject of an easier way, or rather, less difficult to understand:

"Bonnie, focus." - the girl quickly rubbed one of her eyes and then gave continuity - "His name is Klaus and we started talking..." – She thought for a moment, trying to summarize the subject - "...other things also happened, but the point is that we talked all night until almost dawn and it was great." – Caroline smiled laying in bed again - "Then, at four in the morning, I went to meet him on the town square."

"You're really serious?" - she could not believe what she was hearing. So, Bonnie said worriedly - "Meet a complete stranger at four in the morning? Something could have happened, Care!"

"Actually, something happened." – The blonde bit her lip innocently. –

And instantly her friend began to imagine the worst, getting even more worried. But before anything could be said, Caroline spoke again:

"We kissed." – she bit her lip again as if she could still feel his taste with her. - "More than once. And I agreed to go on a date with him."

"Caroline, you've never done anything like this before." – Bonnie took her head from side to side in disapproval - "Have you ever stopped to think about everything you just told me? I mean, a strange guy coming from a wrong call?"

"I know, I know." – the girl took her other hand to her forehead. Of course she knew. It was complete madness. Then she wailed and buried her face in the pillow saying - "But he did not let me think straight."

"You better start thinking, then." – she warned, but soon added - "Look, I'm just worried about my best friend, okay?" – and in view of sudden silence of her friend said at last. - "Now I'll let you go back to sleep. Bye."

Caroline put the phone on the mattress and stood lying, being confronted with the truth of the situation. Her gaze lost in the nothingness, silent. She seemed in a trance. But no more than a few seconds until the phone vibrates again.

"I'll think about it, okay?" – she sighed, looking tired. –

"Think about what, love?"

"Klaus?!" – the girl almost shouted once again, her eyes widening as she moved on the bed. She should definitely start check who was calling in the phone display. –

"Did I wake you?" – he was still in bed. In fact, he had been awake for about twenty minutes, after sleeping like a rock. Klaus had collapsed on the bed after arriving at the apartment. –

"No, it's okay."

"I was wondering what time I should pick you up tonight." – his phone was finally being charged while they talked. Rebekah. She had woken him with a "discreet" arrival: practically throwing the charger in his face while, paradoxically, she said one _thank you_. _"You must never take my charger without my knowledge, you understand me?"_, he had said through gritted teeth, clearly grumpy at her. _"Sorry, but I had no idea that you liked so much of a bloody charger, Nik._" –

Caroline was shaken by that phrase instantly_. How about a quarter to never?_ It was what she should respond after little talk with Bonnie. But she just could not. Hear his voice again did not allow her to say such a thing. So she chose another answer:

"You do not need to do this. We can meet at the same place, Town Square."

"As you wish. Town Square at 8pm."

But the girl has not looked comfortable. Then tried to make things easier, in other words, she wanted to offer something that was not romantic or sexy or stuff like that:

"Hey, I was thinking we could do something simple."

"Like what?"

"I do not know, watch a movie ..." – she suggested as she closed her eyes. For some reason, after the words of Bonnie, the blonde had been sad. –

"Like to a movie where we don't have to talk and could you put at least three seats between us?" - Klaus played spending one of his hands behind his head. There was something in her voice, something different. _Your light seems low, love_. And he would not let her continue in that atypical condition - "No, love. I'll pass."

"What do you expect?" - she gave a little bitter smile by the possibility. - "Watch a movie embracing each other and then kissing?"

"Oh, I know nothing about embracing each other..." – He shrugged, then added with a malicious dimpled smile as he remembered her taste. Her lips were wonderful, especially when they were on his. - "But kissing ..."

Klaus had succeeded. Her version full of light was back seconds after his comment. Caroline narrowed her eyes and struggled not to give in, but it was inevitable. She grinned and quickly shot bossy:

"Shut up!" – the girl sat on the bed and changed the phone position, moving to the other ear. But soon she was listening to him laugh - "It is not funny."

"No, I know, I know." – Klaus laughed because she was laughing and, of course, because he managed to make her smile. _Here you are again, sweetheart._ –

"Then stop laughing!"

He stopped laughing, and as soon as he did, Caroline pretended to be confused by what he might be thinking:

"You talk as if I wanted to cancel our date."

"Do not you want to cancel?" – the irony was evident. Klaus took the charger from the phone and left the bed. - "Sorry if I misinterpreted, but was what it seemed."

"I did not want to cancel." – It was the truth. Even after all that Bonnie had told her, the girl had not been able to "give up" of their date. She put a few strands of hair behind her ear and almost stammered before saying - "I just wanted to ..."

"Cancel." – he answered for her while walking across the room. –

"No, not that." – she rolled her eyes initially and then changed the subject - "Do not you think that everything is going too fast?"

"What do you mean?"

Caroline thought about how she would say, talk to him about the reality of the situation without seeming that she was willing to cancel the date, but the girl did not have much ability to do so at that moment. _He did not let me think straight._

"Maybe we should just keep over the phone for a while. To know each other better, you know?"

Klaus raised his eyebrows at her suggestion. Now he was sure that something was happening. But in any way he was going to ask what it was. Instead, pretend to be confused and chose to play:

"Interesting you say that because I always thought this was the purpose of the date."

"You do not quit, do you?" – the girl smiled like a silly little girl. -

"I'm just starting, love."

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Night. Town Square. 8pm.

Klaus had not revealed to where they were going, so Caroline had no idea whether or not she was dressed appropriately. Given the fact, she had chosen a nice outfit, nothing too elegant or too simple. Now she was once again in the Town Square, waiting for him in a cute and fluffy blue dress, obviously without neckline, but only one that reached halfway down her thighs. She also used high sandals in purple color and, as accessories, two rings and a few thin bracelets. And her hair, put to one side with a clip.

"You look stunning, love." – His voice came out of nowhere right behind her. –

Caroline smiled and turned to him saying softly:

"Hi."

"Hi, love." – he smiled back - "And how am I now?" – Klaus opened his arms waiting for a answer in slight expectation. –

"You're ... perfect." – She had closed her eyes at the sight of him, but of course with the intention of telling something else soon after. Luckily, Klaus was also not wearing clothes too elegant or too simple: a white T-shirt Henley, having sleeves arranged just below his elbows, light gray pants and boots. _Sexy bastard_. The damn white shirt was making her imagine what it was like his skin underneath. The girl almost had the impression that he had tattoos, but she would never touch the subject because Klaus quickly would find out that she was checking him. - "Just so beyond annoying, I can't even look at you."

Klaus showed his dimples clearly pleased with the comment. Then extended his arm to her politely, a true "gentleman" who seemed to love impress her, making Caroline laugh at his charming act, as they went to his car.

"You came walking, love?" – he asked as they walked arm in arm. –

"Yeah." – the blond girl shrugged. –

"This means that your house not far from here." – Klaus pointed raising an eyebrow –

Caroline gave an exaggerated laugh saying harsh while pointing a finger at him:

"Do not even start."

"Alright, I promise to control myself." – he said as he opened the car door for her. –

However, before Klaus could close the door and head up to his side, the girl rolled her eyes and warned him using an expression of "_I'm too smart to be seduced by you_":

"And I promise to pretend I believe you."

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Some time later.

"_Mystic Nightclub"_. And only at that moment she had stopped to think that many establishments in town had the name _Mystic_. Anyway, the _Mytic Night_, as it seemed to be also called by people who were there, was the name of the neon nightclub lively from 8pm to 5am. Music from only three genres: electronic, melodic dubstep and indie pop.

Looked like a nightclub of "small town", if such a designation actually existed. What she thought with "small town" was the Mystic Night was pleasantly _small_, almost like it was made for VIP clients or something like that. But the size of the property is not diminished at all the beauty of the place.

"How can I live in this town and not know this place?" – she muttered placing a hand on her waist as they approached the entrance. –

"It was recently opened, love." – Klaus smiled seeing her way and also pleased because she had no idea of the existence of that place until that night. He indicated the small row of people right in front of them. – "Now let me begin to show you what the world has to offer."

They stopped at the entrance, where each of the two guys who were there, sitting on a stool, had a pot of paint and a brush in hands. One had a pot of paint in the citric blue color while the other had a pink citric. And, of course, they also had a small stock of products next to them.

"What is it?" - The girl soon asked interested and clearly enjoying what she had seen on the wrist of others. Caroline stood next to Klaus. -

"Identification, miss." - one of them said. – "Which symbol you will want on your wrist?"

The illuminated effect of body paints would appear when exposed to black light. Each person had one to enter the nightclub: people were "tattooed" with specific symbols in neon on the wrist. Klaus had already done it in blue and when Caroline was about to say something like: _"I do not know, but make a flower"_, he turned to the other guy and said taking the brush of his hand:

"Allow me, mate."

The man nodded and watched, as Caroline was doing, Klaus dip the tip of the brush into the pink paint, gently hold the inside of her wrist with his left hand and then start making the outline of something there. So, the blonde saw the pink outline of a hummingbird be outlined on her skin seconds later.

"Done, love." – Klaus said with a little dimple smile looking at her and then handing the brush to man. –

Soon after, they finally entered the club. Caroline looked at her wrist trying not to smile. Klaus knew how to be cute, even when he was also obviously trying to make a little _show_ for her.

"Good way to show in public your skills as an artist." - She could not miss the chance to play with him, using the truth, of course. - "Why a hummingbird?"

He chuckled before answering, convinced she actually was willing to never let him come out victorious.

"Do not you know, love? It has a meaning." – Klaus said full of mystery. Willing to leave her thinking about it. –

Caroline grimaced at him, thinking about it while watching the interior of the nightclub. _Wow, I love it._ Klaus watched the expression on her face with the corner of his eye as they walked to a small bar. The song that filled the entire space was _Bad Things by Meiko_, but with the so-called _DNTST Rework_, letting the song perfectly suited to one of the genres of local: melodic dubstep.

The black dance floor with kind of thin multicolored light cables, the ceiling highly filled with neon lights in a bluish-green or blue-green tone, she could not say for sure. Not to mention the laser beams everywhere and the small five bars scattered around the dance floor. And the best: not only was not crowded as it seemed to be the kind of place where that did not happen, but not for lack of people and yes for a limited and selected number of "guests".

Caroline touched his shoulder suddenly and ended up talking in a funny and excited way:

"I tell you one thing: this place needs an _review_ with matter of urgency."

Klaus crossed his arms smiling to how she could be adorable. No other woman had never left him like that, delighted with every gesture, facial expression or simple words. And he had no idea how she could be doing this to him so easily, for no apparent reason. He, of course, also remembering her voice saying over the phone: _"I write for the local newspaper. Reviews of a section devoted to charity events and parties in general."_ Klaus looked in the direction where she was looking, in other words, just all at the same time while saying:

"Well, I'm glad to have presented to you one of the best nightclubs in the _lovely_ Mystic Falls, sweetheart." - his "_lovely_" , however, was not very sincere. It was almost an openly irony. –

So, the girl lightly hit his arm pretending to annoyance, rolling her eyes, until something happened. Caroline paused for a second, making Klaus get confused until she finally faced him, pointing an accusing finger and say through a serious expression:

"_Hummingbird_, Alex Clare's song."

He opened his mouth but nothing came out initially until, even with a frown, he was able to say impressed:

"Exactly." - Klaus still did not believe she had understood so fast. –

But before he could say anything else, the girl immediately pulled his wrist unceremoniously to look at what he had there. Caroline looked at the neon symbol, looked up at him and asked curiously:

"A triangle?"

"Oh, sweetheart, _if I tell you I'll have to kill you_." – he used the same words she had used during their conversation on the phone. The first of them, when he asked her which was her favorite song. –

"Haha, it was hilarious." - Caroline grimaced and then folded her arms adding in a suspicious manner - "Are you sure that you, somehow, didn't recorded our conversation just to use my words against me later?"

"Do you really think that low of me?" - he joked about looking hurt by such an assumption. The shrugged, just saying - "I just pay attention to everything you said."

"Yeah, like it was something important." - she scoffed looking away –

And seeing her do it, made Klaus take the opportunity without even realizing to touch her face saying sweetly, making her look at him:

"And why would not be?"

They exchanged a silent look for a few seconds, the lights changing the color tone of their faces meantime. Until she gently took his hand from her face after inevitably feel a chill taking care of her skin.

"So, now tell me why a triangle." – the girl smiled changing the subject. –

"No, love. You'll have to figure out for yourself." – he seemed to be willing to not give the information, just to tease her. –

"Whatever, I do not even want to know." – she turned her face trying not to laugh. –

Caroline had barely finished speaking when she heard him say out of nowhere, catching her completely off guard:

"You fascinate me."

Then she turned to face him, melting inside, and thanking in thought because the lights of the nightclub were able to disguise just how she was affected by him. Klaus looked at her _that way_. Not only as if he were really fascinated but also if he was undressing her with his eyes. Although him was not able to understand what was happening to him, what was going on between the two. But that was the truth.

"Your charm, dimpled smiles and romantic comments can leave me alone." - the blonde needed a defense, pushing Klaus away from her because, somehow, the words of Bonnie were still with her. _What it is still a stupid thing_. _If I had followed her advice I would not even be here with him. _-

"I disturb you, love?" – Klaus shot realizing that, besides the way she had said those words, Caroline also seemed to have gasped. –

"Seriously?" - she laughed - "Do not be so smug."

She always found a way to escape_. You always have a prompt answer, is not it?_ But he would not let her escape so easily. So Klaus looked at the dance floor and then at her. And just a second later he offered his hand as gently asked:

"Come on. One dance. I won't bite."

Caroline hated the fact that he insisted on using his dimples and even puppy dog eyes to break her resistances. Then rolled her eyes and shot clearly faking bad mood:

"Fine." - she has taken Klaus' offered hand. –

He gave a small victorious smile and began to lead her to the dance floor. The white of his henley T-shirt and the blue of her dress were certainly valued under the black light. Where many of the colors of the clothes of people dancing were "enlightened". And of course, as well as identifying symbols on the wrists of each. The pink outline of the hummingbird on her wrist glowed like the blue triangle on his wrist.

The song was _Days To Come by Seven Lions feat. Fiora._ And Caroline had no idea how to dance with him. However, Klaus did not seemed to have the same problem, so, even before she could get tense, he was already turning her back to him and then bringing the girl's body gently to his.

"_We are, faces to our lips_

_And we'll get easier_

_When you breathe it in_

_Fall, down_

_Follow in the air_

_And we will understand..._

"Close your eyes, love..." - he said in a maddeningly sexy way, although it was not his intention. Klaus had noticed that, initially, she did not seem very comfortable. But he would make her feel it. - "And feel the music."

_Hurts will come undone_

_All that we'll become_

_Rise and fall behind_

_Weightless in rewind..._

She nodded quietly and followed the advice, getting carried away. Then he began. His hands slowly sliding over her, from the shoulders, then down over her arms, bringing goose bumps all over her skin, until finally touching her waist, almost wrapping with one of his arms. Sticking her on him.

Caroline began a small, slow motion sequence, nothing like a well-rehearsed dance. The girl was just getting carried away by the music. Getting carried away by him. Klaus remained behind her, practically involving her from behind with his arms around her waist. Moving slowly with her, one side to the other. The hips of the two were in perfect sync just like the rest of their bodies.

_My feel was shifting of you getting closer_

_My eyes wide open underneath the sun_

_Follow the feeling, with patiently waiting_

_I lose my feelings to oblivion..._

Her hands, however, still seemed to struggle not to touch him as they danced despite Klaus seemed to touch her with ease and without any kind of protest or impediment in return. But it was impossible not to give in to temptation to feel his skin on her hands. When the girl reached down sensually down of his hips without breaking the contact of bodies, Klaus caught her hips in his hands, and from there, began to caress her body, going down a little more along with her, until he could get to her thighs, just below the dress and touch them, making the blong girl further tighten her eyes already closed by desire. So, from the bottom up, he started go through her body back to her waist, caressing every piece, every area where his hands came to touch.

Caroline could not take it anymore, so embraced his arms around her waist, tightening herself to him, as she tilted her head back, just over his shoulder. Klaus also had his eyes closed while receiving gladly her head leaning on his left shoulder. He had one side of her neck completely exposed to him because the girl's hair, put to one side with a clip, allowed. His face was slowly getting closer to her skin, smelling the scent of girl, who knew what he was about to do. But not before he could put his half open lips against her ear.

_Days, I feel it_

_Days, I feel it_

_Quietly I keep you close to me_

_Quietly I feel you when I'm dreaming_

_Quietly I keep you close to me_

_Quietly I feel you when I'm dreaming..._

"Caroline." - he whispered her name as if it were the most beautiful word in the world, as if he were making a wish and, at the same time, demanding something from her. That girl was driving him crazy. –

She gasped softly and unwittingly brought one of her hands to the back of his head while Klaus began to kiss her neck. He could feel her face turning to the side to meet his face buried in her neck between blazing kisses. The blonde wanted to see his face, she wanted more. So, Klaus left her skin to find Caroline's eyes amid the rhythmic changes of neon lights in green, blue, pink and purple. It was dark, despite the illumination, but they could clearly see the other's face and what the eyes and lips seemed to be begging.

_Quietly I keep you close to me_

_Quietly I feel you when I'm dreaming_

_Quietly I keep you close to me_

_Quietly I feel you when I'm dreaming_

_Follow the feeling, with patiently waiting_

_I loose my feelings to oblivion..._

And after a second or two, he was squeezing her waist tighter against his own body as if the gesture was an invitation. In return, she pulled his face through his nape until he could get a few inches from her lips. So, without more time to waste, he covered her mouth with his in a slow and hungry kiss, putting his tongue inside her mouth shortly after. Caroline deepened the kiss in the best way she could while keeping one hand on Klaus's nape and another involving his arms around her waist. The girl began to stick her fingers in his hair, bringing his mouth deeper into hers while Klaus's tongue claimed hers through a possessively hot way.

They barely noticed the presence of other people dancing around. All that mattered was the silence between the two during the inebriating sound and rhythm of the music. They just wanted to be there, keeping close to the other. Experiencing unexplained sensations. With eyes closed, moving slowly together... kissing.

_The days to come_

_Feel it, the days, I feel it_

_Quietly I keep you close to me_

_Quietly I feel you when I'm dreaming_

_Quietly I keep you close to me_

_Quietly I feel you when I'm dreaming_

_Follow the feeling, with patiently waiting..."_

Too late. Too late to think about what Bonnie had said. Caroline was already too much immersed in the sensations of that moment to stop or rewind.

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	6. Part 6

**To see some things of the chapter. (remove the spaces)**

**www. naley 2347 . wordpress . com**

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**Hello, stranger**

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"_I am the blank page before you_

_I am the fine idea you crave_

_I live and breathe under the moon_

_And when you cross that bridge_

_I'll come find you..._

The song no longer played, actually the beginning of another one could already be heard, _Stay Awake by London Grammar_, while they still kissed intensely. Klaus had turned Caroline's body to face his, never failing to tighten the girl against him, pulling her by the waist. She had her arms around his neck, in a tight embrace among increasingly long kisses while they move so slowly over the song that at any time they gave indications that would stop just to stay kissing.

Until, to her surprise, Klaus broke the kiss to say smilling against her lips, which were also taken by a smile, and through heavy and irregular breathing that they seemed to share:

"Let's get out of here." – He ran his hands over her face as he almost leaned his forehead to hers. –

"Where?" - She bit her lip still smiling as she touched his face, drawing little strokes with both hands. _I can only be crazy_. He was leaving her completely crazy. Caroline seemed not to care anymore. She was happy and Klaus was the one responsible for that. –

So always taking the opportunity to do a bit of mystery, he said after they stop dancing almost simultaneously:

"The second part of the date."

"What?!" – the girl laughed in disbelief. –

Klaus smiled again, this time by her way, and, before answering, he pulled her in for another tight kiss, one that the blonde returned with a small low moan.

_Stay awake with me_

_You know I can't just let you be_

_Stay awake with me_

_Take your hand and come and find me..."_

"You wanted to watch a movie, so that's exactly what we're gonna do." – he had put his lips against her ear to say –

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Twenty minutes later.

_Watch a movie_. He told the truth and at the same time he had tricked her completely. _Bastard_. Caroline did not believe she had come to think for a moment that this was not a new attempt of seduction. _As if I had not already been seduced enough after all those kisses in the nightclub._

Klaus was not talking about watching a random movie in the cinema. After leaving _Mystic Night,_ he drove to another place, but with the same purpose: watch a movie. So in a few minutes they were there. A Blockbuster video store.

_"Seriously?", _she had blurted out on purpose after folding arms against her chest. And Klaus had smiled maliciously almost feigning innocence as he shrugged: _"That was the only way for you not to be able to put three seats between us."_ The dimples had also become more evident when he added pointing all films options: _"Now pick one, sweetheart."_

Well, this was the first "surprise". The second, not exactly unexpected for the course that things were taking, was the fact that the film chosen by Caroline would be watched in the apartment where Klaus was staying. _You planned this!_

However, the most surprising thing was that, despite her "anger" by his seduction plans, Caroline had accepted the offer. And at that moment she was there, crossing a dangerous line: the line separating the outside and inside of his apartment. Or that line could be simply named... _door._

The girl looked around the space trying not to look too shocked at what she was seeing. _Wow. "My family sells coffins",_ she was quickly reminded of the fact._ So, definitely, dead people brings money. _

The living and dining rooms were interconnected, with a typical American kitchen. Not exactly typical, actually: to countertop with black marble top and base coated with laminated woodgrain and, of course, the high black barstools. Everything was beautiful and definitely expensive. _This place can not be simply being rented. _It was not normal for the amount of things, especially decorative objects and paintings everywhere. Too many details to be just a rental.

The atmosphere was modern and classic, in a balanced mix of styles. It was the case of home theater that had a Venetian painting from 1850, one gray linen sofa, a pair of mahogany armchairs of the 1940s and a Persian carpet of the 19th century. In addition to the steel and glass table, which had something over her as a collection of French boxes and a vase of Murano.

However, rather than comment on the luxury apartment, a luxury that Klaus does not seem to want to brag about because he was acting normally, she chose to say another undeniable truth:

"I can't believe I'm actually doing this." – the girl admitted without the slightest embarrassment as sat on the sofa with Klaus standing right in front of her. –

He had his arms folded against his chest, analyzing her for a second or two until start saying through a tone of voice that didn't seemed to make clear his secret intentions after a fake sigh:

"There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat, and we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures." - Klaus gave a small smile at the end noting the smile she seemed to struggle to hide. Caroline's smile was becoming one of the most wonderful things to be contemplated. - "You're taking a chance, Caroline." – he shrugged. _Taking a chance_. Or just... "_take the current_". So Klaus smirked again - "And there's nothing wrong with that."

But what he certainly did not see coming was the reaction of blonde. And especially her words. Caroline shook her head from side to side as if she did not believe what he had just done. Then she laughed as she asked narrowing her eyes:

"Are you quoting _Julius Caesar_ to seduce me?"

Then, suddenly, he was the one who was speechless and with eyes slightly wide. The point was not to seduce her. Yes, maybe, deep down, a little. But what he did not believe was how she could understand so fast. So fast to launch a prompt answer to defeat him. She was really astonishing.

"How did you ..." - Was the only thing he was able to start saying –

Caroline laughed again, this time by clearly seeing what she had done to him. So, the blonde opened her arms as if the answer was the most normal thing in the world:

"What? I've seen One Tree Hill."

"One Tr..." – Klaus was even more confused. The furrowed brow as he shook his head negatively. He had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. –

"Yeah." - the girl frowned back seeing his confusion. Then she opened her arms once more - "Hello, the series!"

"Right." – he nodded even without having the slightest idea about the series that she was talking about. At least one thing he knew: _So, it's a TV series_. Klaus had finally stopped frowning when he commented - "Well, I'm impressed although I suggest you look for the book itself." – that was the reason for his knowledge about that particular quoted passage. After all, he had read _Julius Caesar_ by _Shakespeare._ - "Literature is always better."

"Well, that's debatable." - She pointed a finger at him in a funny way. And soon after changed the subject - "Anyway, let's see..." - Caroline rose from the sofa and walked up to him, taking a step or two forward while pretending to think for a moment - "...you take me to a nightclub like a typical modern guy and now comes to talk about classic literature." - the girl stood very close to him, and for a second, she almost regretted the dangerous move. It was like she was not just tempting Klaus, but also herself by the proximity of the bodies. - "Who are you?"

Seemed to be too late. Klaus already looked at her with _that look_. The look that made her melt and blush at the same time. He had looked down, straight up to her mouth, but not for long.

"I'm who you want me to be, love." – the answer was given and he didn't even understood how she made him say such things without planning, without thinking. But things that, although unfamiliar to him, in no time, had caused regret. - "Tell me what you want and I will be for you."

Then he leaned in for a kiss as she closed her eyes, initially losing strength. _You can not let him do that to you, Caroline Forbes. _With that thought, she had resisted, placing her fingertips over his lips before they could touch hers.

"Let's watch the movie." – Caroline moved away from him, taking a step back as Klaus nodded without wanting to look frustrated. –

The girl was starting to think she had not made the best choice. Yes, that movie was really her favorite, but perhaps was not the most appropriate movie to watch with Klaus right next to her. It was too dangerous. Especially after she just smother a massive urge to kiss him again.

And the passion of Ryan Gosling and Rachel Mcadams would make everything worse, she was sure. _Why I chose precisely The Notebook?_ _God, I mean ... is The Notebook!_ It was not proper to watch movie with man by whom she was madly drawn to, fascinated and stupidly happy to have as a company at the time.

Klaus put the movie on the DVD player and went to sit beside her on the sofa. Luckily he was not trying anything like wrapping her shoulders in one of his arms or maybe even a new attempt to kiss.

The opening scenes of a man paddling on the lake at sunset seemed to take longer than normal to Caroline. The slow and delicate notes coming from the piano also seemed too long. Until the silence was broken:

"It has a good soundtrack." - He commented as the main title song played in the scene. -

"Yeah." - she seemed less tense now that he had returned to speak. Then confessed with a silly smile on her face - "This movie made me love the forties."

They were not looking at each other while talking. And in less than two seconds later, it was him who was saying almost random fashion while keeping his eyes on the big screen TV:

"You would have loved the 1920s, Caroline." - Klaus smiled talking - "Girls were reckless, sexy, fun." - But the way he said was what sounded too sexy for the blonde girl. - "They literally used to dance until they dropped."

"And how can you say with such certainty, hmm?" – the girl had suddenly turned to face him with a clear expression of curiosity on her face. She even seemed to be challenging him with that question. –

Klaus quickly lowered his head, somehow seeming almost shy before starting talking:

"I admit, love, you got me." – he turned to face her, suddenly became serious and a second later added with a smile that was gradually turning out to be something like a laugh - "I heard or read this somewhere and I always wanted to say."

And almost instantly the blonde had fallen in a fit of laughter, adorably bringing her hands to her mouth as if to contain the silly laughs while Klaus laughed at her way.

"This was very..." - She was about to correct the situation by making clear that everything had been dumb. -

"I know, but at least I made you laugh." - Klaus brought a hand up to her face passing his thumb on her cheek with a little dimpled smile on his lips. - "It was worth it."

Klaus and Caroline looked at each other in silence as he kept his thumb on her cheek._ Do not kiss him. Control yourself. _But she had to, at least, touch him. She wanted so much. So Caroline took courage and dared to caress his face with the back of her fingers, feeling his sexy short stubble.

The film obviously still there, but was being completely ignored. And she was finally realizing that fact while they exchanged caresses and silent stares and when the voice of Mcadams screamed desperately nervous for the Noah of Gosling in a scene that she knew every line: _"Yes, I wanna go out with you!"_

Caroline closed her eyes saying through a long and smooth sigh because she was really enjoying his caress and also the fact of touching his face:

"God, we will not watch this movie."

So she opened her eyes to glare at him as she pulled her hand from his face. All in time to see him expand the dimpled smile, also taking away his hand from her face as he shrugged:

"Probably not."

Klaus stood up from the sofa after pausing the movie without looking at the screen, actually never taking his eyes off the blonde, who faced him curiously.

"Let's try something else." - he offered his hand to her once again with that look of "_I wont bite._" –

The girl narrowed her eyes, making a typical grimace of "_What are you planning?_" But despite that, taking his hand full of amusing suspicion as she rose graciously from the sofa.

Then, in a slow movement enough, but somehow also fast enough that she could not protest, he walked along with her to one of the few empty spaces from the living room, a small area without furniture. Klaus held Caroline's waist with both hands and at each step he took forward, made her take a step back until they get to where he wanted. He had stopped just like her.

"What are you ..." - Her voice faltered as her body was leaning against the wall and lightly pressed by the proximity of his body. -

He seemed to understand her nervousness and so was quickly released the girl's waist, making Caroline relax a bit for just a few seconds. But he kept close, dangerously close to her. With _that_ look. And as much she was melting inside, the blonde tried to stay strong, facing the mesmerizing blue-green colour of his eyes and his mouth, that she wanted so badly to kiss.

Klaus, however, started to do something she still was not sure what it was and if it had a purpose. Probably, yes, would have one. He took each of his hands to each of her hands, touching delicately, while watching his own movements with head and look slightly down.

"You know, people often underestimate the power of hands, love." - Klaus seemed to use all the charm that his accent could provide, almost whispering hoarsely while Caroline tried not close her eyes by desire. Or simply feeling the smoothness with which his skin touched hers, without any hesitation, until gradually they were intertwining fingers. Then he slowly bring the girl's arms just above her shoulders, fingers always intertwined. –

Klaus lifted his head once more and their eyes met, attracted by each other. With heavy breath he continued, this time looking at the mouth of blonde and slightly running the tip of the tongue over his own lips before speaking, secretly leaving her crazy:

"Lips may want a kiss, but hands..." – his gaze was quickly guided to their hands, interlaced against the wall and just above her shoulders. So he added leaning his face, taking his mouth closer to hers - "...they claim the body."

Caroline bit her lip, breathing heavily for having his mouth so close. And, for a second, leaving lips slightly parted to receive his, making Klaus prepare his, parted in return. Dying to taste hers again.

"What do you mean by all this?" – she finally said in a whisper, taking the opportunity to smell his scent –

"If we can keep our hands firmly under control nothing will happen." – was the answer she wanted from him without even knowing. Klaus wanted her as much as Caroline wanted him, but he also seemed to know she was not the type of girl who would have sex so easily, despite what was happening between them, something unexplainable. –

That was why he was holding his hands in hers. To contain himself and Caroline. Because, exactly as Klaus had said, "_hands ... they claim the body"_. But they could do something else. Something less dangerous, but equally exciting: _"What lips want ..."_

"Only kisses, promise me." – The blonde gasped inches from his mouth, saying as if she was not sure of her own words. Eyes closed and accelerated heartbeats as the girl, unintentionally, leaned her body against his. –

Klaus nodded with closed eyes and, through a small crooked smile, answered:

"Only kisses. I promise."

"Good." - She smiled back. –

Then they started playing with each other, faces and lips changing position as to to find the best way to start the kiss. But there were not a better way, all ways were the best. They were just playing, provoking each other with almost kisses and little silly smiles. Until he got tired to prolong the torture, crashing their lips, never giving time for her breathe. Caroline moaned moving her tongue on his, sucking his lips with the same hunger and desire that Klaus used to suck hers.

She pressed her fingers harder against the back of his hand while Klaus was tightening his on hers, pressing harder not only the hands and arms of the girl against the wall, but also her body. Both broke the kiss almost simultaneously and a second later, Klaus was trying to get to her neck, kissing incessantly and almost growling while Caroline made it difficult his efforts by nibbling the chin and part of the jaw line frantically. Their intertwined fingers sought to keep together and increasingly tight while everything became wilder: kissing, nibbling, panting and small sounds of pleasure.

_You can not sleep with him. You can not and you will not._ Caroline stifled a whimper and, with much difficulty, broke the kisses:

"I have to go." – she moaned with eyes closed coming once again to kiss his beard sensually. _God, why it feels so good?_ –

"Stay." - Klaus growled burying his face in her neck. _You drive me crazy. Stay. Stay with me_. –

She hated herself for being weak, being about to confess in agony, feeling his hot kisses, so tempting. Caroline freed herself of his hands, finally taking control over her own fingers and arms again, bringing her hands to take his face away from her neck and soon after practically beg:

"Do not do this to me, do not ask me to stay."

"We can watch the movie..." – Klaus tried to find a way out. Any way out. He was already holding her face in hands, panting. –

"No, we can't." – The blonde stroked his face gently trying to catch her own breath. She knew they would end up sleeping together. Caroline leaned her forehead against his while giving another kiss in those maddening lips before saying – "Klaus ... you still have my number, right?"

"Yes, love."

They looked at each other for a few seconds, exchanging caresses. He seemed entranced, waiting her next words. So, even before him listen, Klaus had already started to smirk by the smile he could see taking care of the lips of the blonde girl. Caroline pecked his lips before saying:

"So call me and ask me another date."

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	7. Part 7

**Hello, stranger**

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"Nik, wake up!"

He almost fell off the sofá by the shock caused by his sister voice, in fact by her shouts:

"Bloody hell, Rebekah!" - Klaus punched the sofa angry at the way she seemed to insist to keep waking him abruptly. He rubbed his eyes with his clenched fist and then said hard opening the eyes, still almost closed by sleep, to face her better - "Why you still have the key to my apartment?" – the irony was totally intentional. –

She laughed as well full of irony while pointing around with the tip of the key in one hand:

"Because, legally, it is still _my_ apartment!" - then she began to look at what was on the table frowning immediately - " Have you been watching _The Notebook_?"

"It is forbidden? " – he snapped in a bad mood already rising from the sofa to somehow hide the dvd box. That was why Klaus had fallen asleep there, in the living room. After the departure of Caroline, he had just watching the movie because he could not stop thinking about her. - "I must confess... it's not a bad movie."

"Niklaus Mikaelson watching _The Notebook_?" – she laughed incredulously and then pretended seriousness and even concern - "Who are you and what have you done with my real brother?"

"I would laugh if it was laughable." – he did not even forced a laugh. –

Klaus just put the movie under one of the cushions of the sofa and when he was about to make his way to the bedroom, he heard his sister's voice say:

"Wait a second." - Rebekah grabbed his shoulder and started sniffing - "This is not your perfume." - everything made sense and no sense strangely too. And a second later she shot with wide eyes showing the movie -"I do not believe I'm saying, but all this it's because of a woman?!"

"Do not be ridiculous." – Klaus rolled his eyes and immediately changed the subject - "Now tell me why you're here."

"Fine." - she pretended defeat. _For now, brother_. - "Stefan and I are going to dinner here tonight."

Abruptly Klaus had initiated one loud forced and exaggerated laughter:

"Haha!' - he shook his head from side to side, slowly stopping to laugh. Until his laugh die and be replaced by a hard expression - "Absolutely not."

"You lost that, Nik." – Rebekah shrugged. - "I'm having dinner at _my_ apartment." - but ended up going back to the matter for which she was really interested - "However, I do not object if you want to invite the mysterious woman to join us."

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Meanwhile.

"Care!" – she tried to scream louder than the sound of the music that was coming from inside the house of her friend. The sound of _Datarock_ singing _Fa Fa Fa_ and was almost humanly impossible to be heard without damaging the hearing of someone. - "Caroline, open the door! Caroline!"

And, by some miracle, after about two minutes of many loud shouts, she seemed to have been heard. The sound was abruptly turned off and shortly after, the blonde opened the door wearing gloves on her hands and a white blouse with little dust stained. Hair tied atop her head. Caroline smiled nervously and started to say as she entered:

"Sorry, sorry, sorry..."

The living room was a complete mess. A chaos. Furniture out of place. Brooms, buckets of water, floor cloths, detergents and all cleaning products that could be found in the supermarket, she was sure.

"Today is the day of cleaning?" – Bonnie frowned observing everything.–

The girl once again was already smiling nervously as she sat on the floor already picking something up to clean as soon as possible:

"Yeah, you know...all those stressogens."

"You are stress-cleaning, Care." – she crossed her arms watching her friend continue clearing anything that was ahead without looking at her - "And all this means: boy drama."

_Oh God._ The blonde stopped immediately cleaning with her eyes widening by the comment. And, inevitably thinking: _I would not say boy. Man. Yeah, definitely __man__._ Then, closing her eyes for a second, deep breathing and she tried to start saying timidly, innocently:

"What would you say if I told you that I ended up having that date with that certain person about whom you gave me some advice?" - Caroline bit her lip waiting for the reaction of Bonnie, who just made a sign for her to continue despite already knowing it was. - "I met him in the town square again and we went to an _amazing_ nightclub." - the girl said excitedly until start to tell more about the "disturbing" part - "We started dancing and he was there and i was there and..." - perhaps this was the time to talk even more hastily so she could escape from such memories. But it was inevitable. The girl remembered absolutely every detail, every feeling. That damn hot accent whispering against her ear: _"Close your eyes, love ... and feel the music."_ And, thinking about it, she would say already struggling to not close her eyes - "...God knows that the music _definitely_ was there." – a little "disturbing" part had to be said The blonde opened arms and narrowed her eyes giving a nervous giggle - "So i sort of kissed him or he kissed me, because he obviously wanted to kiss me." - then she gave in to temptation of close her eyes - "I thought "_we'll just make out_," but then, it felt _really_ good to kiss him..." - in fact, without realizing she was biting her lower lip thinking about his taste - "...everything related to him felt _really_ good." – until she opens her eyes and suddenly make an embarrassed grimace - "So then I kind of, totally went to his place, but I swear, I didn't plan to do it." - Caroline, however, hastened to make clear - "And I surely did _not_ sleep with him." - but then she made a new face, almost a whimper and pout while almost touched her chest with the glove - "And now, I feel terrible!"

Bonnie's eyes widened in disbelief and she shot:

"You feel terrible for not having slept with him?!"

Caroline eyes widened back, rushing to correct the uncorrectable at that time:

"Oh my God, I mean, it's just ..." - but instead of trying to do it the girl eventually admitted - "Bonnie, I can not explain, but I swear, there is something about him that drives me absolutely crazy." - The blonde tightened the cleaning rags in her gloves while saying - "He accelerates my heartbeats, weakens my legs, my skin gets goosebumps..." - she nodded to each new word - "...not to mention he makes me smile and laugh, knows how to talk and definitely knows how to make me melt when he says wonderfully disturbing things using that accent or those damn dimples."

But it was time of her friend talk:

"Look, however it is still completely insane to me, I obviously can not and will not interfere on this subject. "- Bonnie just gave a shrug - " It's your life, and even I do not have any idea who this guy is, I know and can see that he is making you somewhat crazy, but also happy. " - then she tried to give a small encouraging smile - "So, go on."

Caroline smiled in disbelief that she had heard those words because, deep down, it was exactly what she wanted to hear, but was afraid that would not happen.

"Thank you, Bonnie." - she seemed relieved. –

Bonnie nodded and soon watched the blonde get the cell phone that had begun to vibrate next to her on the floor.

"Hello, Caroline." – his voice said from the other side of the line. -

And she inevitably found herself smiling and just saying his name almost in a tender whisper:

"Klaus."

"Love, I think you will not enjoy the date."

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Later that day. Night. Apartment Mikaelson.

Caroline wore a short black dress and and black sandals. _Basic black is always appropriate. _Dinner with Rebekah, the sister, and her fiance, Stefan, in Klaus's apartment really was not the date she had in mind. _It's better. Now he will not try to grab me and I will not have to keep resisting._ _It is perfect. _The blonde had parked her car right across the street. And, yes, she had chosen to come alone. _"No, Klaus. I'm going in my car.", _she had made it clear on the phone. because he was probably just trying to find out her address with _"Love, let me pick up you tonight."_ But the answer had been pretty clear: _"Thanks, but no."_

And now she was listening key be turned from the other side of the door to a second after she did not find Klaus but a beautiful blond girl, standing in front of her with a strange smile, as if analyzing her:

"Caroline, right?" – she said politely with another smile as she opened the door completely –

"Yeah." – Caroline returned the polite smile extending her hand for a proper greeting. - "Rebekah, right?"

"Exactly." – Rebekah nodded shaking the hand of the other blonde and then watching her enter the apartment as the door was closed. –

Caroline walked into the living room and saw Klaus in nowhere, which made her frown. But Rebekah soon seemed to have noticed the hang of her and was already explaining:

"My fiance is not here yet." - start with Stefan could be less embarrassing_. I know it's my brother you want._ But to say so would be weird, too obvious. So to remove the tension of the moment, she joked making a grimace - "And Nik are probably selecting some of his necklaces to suit the gray henley."

"Sounds like him." – Caroline nodded saying it without realizing. _Damn sexy necklaces. –_

"I think so." – the girl with an accent seemed intrigued by the way the other girl spoke of her brother. _What the hell is going on between these two?_ So to to clear my doubts at once ended up randomly commenting – "Glad you came before Nik return to England."

Caroline gasped and, trying not to fail the voice, asked with a smile to disguise the confusion:

"Return?"

"He's leaving town tomorrow." – the sister of Klaus folded her arms against her chest while answering, also frowning. _Oh bloody hell, she did not know._ –

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Two minutes later.

Rebekah stopped in front of Klaus suddenly and slapped her brother's face soon as he saw him coming in the living room.

"Have you lost your mind, Rebekah?!" – Klaus roared in fury not believing what she had just done. -

"Asshole bastard." - she defied him making a grimace of disapproval before saying slowly while pointing the door - "You better run after her."

_Caroline_. His eyes widened looking toward the door. And suddenly, the slap was not importante anymore. Klaus gasped touching the shoulder of Rebekah:

"What did you say to her?"

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Seven seconds later.

"Caroline!" – the distinctive accent was still screaming her name as the hand of the owner of the voice held the elevator door entering rapidly and almost clumsily after taking the shortest path from the apartment door, down the hall to get to the elevator door. Chasing after her. –

But the girl had said nothing. Caroline's expression simply meant she was obviously trying to ignore him, even seeing Klaus gasp quietly for two or three seconds for him to have run after her, trying to stop the elevator to leave that floor without him being there, with her. The girl crossed her arms and remained silent as she quickly looked away. She could not and would not look at him. _I just want this damn elevator stop being so slow._

He tried to find her gaze before saying anything. But it seemed increasingly pointless. _Bloody hell._ Then, losing patience through a stifled growl, Klaus suddenly had taken the opportunity to be alone with her there to make a simple movement, which soon left the blonde with wide eyes until she, also suddenly, exclaim exalted:

"Klaus, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" – the girl had opened her arms immediately after watching Klaus get quickly with his back to her and then push the red button "_stop_", more precisely stopping the elevator on the third floor. –

"Don't be angry, love." - Klaus turned to face her again. He asked using slightly lowered eyes, as if they were puppy dog eyes. -

And she had no idea if that gesture was intentional or not, but Caroline just rolling hers eyes to that pointless attempt to sensitize her. _Seriously?_ _It will not work. _Then the girl screamed again angrily, struggling to not give a step ahead to come face to face with him while saying temporarily with clenched teeth:

"Have you lost your mind?!" - only now the blonde was realizing the real crisis: being there, in the company of the last man she could think of wanting to be stuck in an elevator at that time. For several reasons. So, trying to contain her nervousness, started looking at the walls of the elevator once again opening her arms as she chose to say something like - "I can be claustrophobic!"

But to her surprise, instead of believing, minimally believeving in those words, Klaus had almost shown a small and extremely discreet trace of smile before affirm:

"You're not." - the trace of smile was gone immediately to be replaced by an almost sweet smooth facial expression as they finally met each other's eyes for a second - "Listen to me, i was going to tell you." - Klaus not the kind of guy who cared to give explanations about his life and decisions to anyone, but with her he felt an almost uncontrollable urge to do it. What she thought was important. So, he even closed his eyes before saying as if he wanted her to understand that meant nothing - "Will be only a few days..."

However, as he prepared to continue, it was her, abruptly and too harshly, who was interrupting his speech to take the chance to talk and cut any "explanation" that he could come to give:

"You don't owe me an explanation. You're leaving Mystic Falls." – Caroline itched the corner of an eyebrow as she looked away and smiled almost ironically, even though it definitely was not her intention - "Actually, you're leaving the _country_." – _Tomorrow_, she could have easily added to the sentence, but it would be even weirder or maybe she was just afraid of how it might sound. Sound to him, but mostly to herself. So, just staring at him, the girl he forced a new smile, a convincing one that what she said was absolutely true. - "And, honestly, it's fine! Go!"

Immediately after the sentence, she stepped forward as if to reach the red button he had pressed to get it over with. All she wanted was to get out, do not be closer to him. Perhaps for self-preservation, for her mental health. However, he was not willing to end the matter so easily. And less than a second later, instinctively, Klaus had also taken a step forward and one slightly sideways, standing in front of the girl to block her attempt to reach the red button. He had his body just a few inches from hers and, for a brief second, faces equally close. Breaths that were lost in each other as well as the colors of their eyes as they stared at each other immersed in silence. A kiss could easily happen. So, firmly maintaining eye contact, Klaus left his lips slightly parted, almost making her gasp and return the gesture. But to the surprise of the blonde, something more dangerous than a kiss was about to come.

"Would you want otherwise?" – his voice hoarse had gone through the parted lips as well as the heavy breathing by the closeness of their lips. –

Hear those words had provoked an instantaneous effect on her. Caroline stepped back quickly with a frown and still mentally gasping at the previous level of closeness.

"What?" - Her voice faltered –

Once again he wanted to leave everything clear to her. No make room for confusion, any misinterpretation that could provide a minimum gap that he knew she could and probably would use to escape. Klaus did not dare move, not at least as he said and tried to stop her from wanting to escape from him. But he had already made sure of that from the moment that he had stopped the elevator. That little space, those four walls which delimited everything. Only the two and nobody else there to interrupt. For some reason he needed to know. He needed her honesty:

"If you want, if you want me to stay, I postpone my return to England."

"I don't know what you mean." – the girl shook her head trying to look calm, when in fact, secretly, she trembled with fear of her own reactions to every time he insisted on looking at her with _that_ look, and especially by course of the conversation. –

But he had noticed how she seemed to want to hide something, as if she did not want to look in any way _weak_. _This is not you. This is me, love. _Klaus was the one who hated looking weak. But even without understanding, he was putting everything down. All resistances and habits ... for her. All for her. That blonde girl who seemed not to want see how beautiful, fascinating and maddening she was for him. So he allowed himself a little smirk finally taking a step forward:

"Yes you do."

As Caroline watched him close the distance, she thought of taking another step back, but if she did would probably end up colliding her back against the elevator wall. No, escape was not an option. It could not be one. _Why are you doing this?_ Why Klaus could not let her go? _You're leaving, but still want to do this to me? _She was tired. The blonde would be honest and hard and she had no intention of not making it clear to him. Then took a step forward, staring at him as she exploded abruptly:

"You can not ask me something like this!" - Eyes wide and voice evidently raised by anger as she opened her arms and ignored his gaze, surprised by her reaction. Suddenly, Caroline was pushing his chest with both hands, never using excessive force as she fired one word after another angrier - "It's your life and I'm just a girl from a wrong call who, for some crazy and inexplicable reason, agreed to talk to you, know you, go out with you and kiss you."

Klaus staggered, pacing back increasingly clumsy by the anger of the blonde channeled in that act of pushing his chest. He had never imagined such a reaction from her. And neither from himself, who did nothing to stop the girl. Until she took the initiative again and stopped by adding the harder and serious way as possible:

"And that should mean nothing!"

That phrase suddenly seemed to have punched him in the stomach. Hear it had hurt him. And Klaus was never hurt by a woman. He nodded, closing his eyes for a second as he said:

"I see."

"No, you don't, because if you knew, if you really understand, you would not keep doing this. " – the girl was not able to stop. Not now that she had started a strange sort of confession. You will ruin me. _We have nothing and you are already ruining me_. She was trying to take all that agony from her chest once and for all. The blonde pointed her forefinger accusingly at Klaus, who seemed to be secretly beginning to understand, to his own relieve. - "You..._you_ can't do this to me. You can't just show up in my life messing everything!"

A second later, when she finally gasped whirlwind of emotions by the putting hands on her forehead with closed eyes, as if trying to regain self-control, it was his turn to break the silence with a new attitude and tone of voice:

"Now here's what I think." - Klaus took a step toward her without any hesitation until he could be close to her, too close. Meeting her blue eyes and her mouth for a second with his eyes while saying full of desire, making her melt inside - "You crave me as much as I crave you." - but not having an answer except for her not entirely indecipherable gaze, he continued the little speech, about to put in risk all all at once on a dangerous move - "But I'll make it easier for you if that's what you really want. If you truly believe that this is the right thing to do." - her disturbing silence remained between them as well as the blue eyes of the girl, stuck on his. So Klaus pointed the red button with one of his arms outstretched behind and shortly after the elevator door behind him as he said slowly to make it clear - "I'm gonna walk away and I'm never coming back to your life." - he came closer, even being able to breathe her completely the same way that she could breathe him while continuing. - "You'll never again will have to talk to me or look me in the eye and try to escape from the connection and desire that binds us. " - Klaus could be dying to kiss those lips, but he would not do it until he could get an answer, a real one. He continued more seriously, harder - "I will not see you, i will not call you, i will not insist on it and i will no longer mess up your life." - as if he wanted the blond girl to feel the implications of such a possibility, such a proposal. What would be from there if Caroline did not accept him in her life. - "I will just walk away." - Klaus has not touched her and neither would touch her as much as he wanted. So, chose to end with two words he had used on the previous night, obviously in another context. - "I promise."

And just walked away from her, giving all the space she needed. In other words, two steps back. Caroline was still without words, almost in a trance for a second as she let her back touching the wall of the elevator as if to seek support. Her heart seemed to have stopped and breath was stuck somewhere on the way of her throat. The mind taking of by thoughts and suggestions from crazy voices giving advices, yelling at herself. No, she could not think straight. That was what he did to her, right? The girl was trying to calm down, although did not look nervous, closing her eyes as if to stop organizing everything in her mind. And after approximately one minute she whispered, eyes still closed:

"I do not want to escape from the connection and desire that binds us."

Klaus's eyes widened slightly, the expectation had been consuming him during those endless sixty seconds. _What did you say?_ He wanted to smile, but could not do it because Caroline had not yet finished speaking. The blonde opened her eyes and met his gaze for a second, only silence between, before panting looking at those lips and confess without any inhibitions as if she was getting rid of all agony at once through a heavy sigh:

"I _want_ _you_ to mess up my life."

And with that, there was no time to lose. Too fast, in a move too agile, she took two steps forward looking desperate and threw herself into his arms in an eager kiss. Klaus grabbed her waist for just a split second because he already tightened his arms around as his mouth seemed to struggle to swallow hers with passion dipping his tongue inside, dancing with hers in a game of seduction and pleasure, tasting, memorizing. Caroline had the arms and elbows resting on the shoulders of Klaus while hers forearms involved and the contour path that started from the back of his neck until get all over his head, where she had her fingers buried in his short hair.

They let out little moans during the maddening kiss. Caroline tightened herself to him while Klaus pressed her harder, hips glued, in fact bodies glued. And sensually his hand began to slide down her dress, down to the butt, where he began to squeeze hard making Caroline break the kiss to moan a little more with closed eyes and a smile on her lips because she was loving having his hand there. Klaus grinned mischievously seeing her way and soon it was he who growled in pleasure, feeling she sensually nibbling his stubble chin.

"Caroline..." - He growled with closed eyes feeling the sexy small bites and kisses of her all over his stubble as he took her ass in his other hand, squeezing more. –

"I want so much ..." - She almost whimpered trying to kiss him again. _Trying_, because he had begun distributing small hickeys on her neck. - "But not here ..."

"Wrong place, love..." – Klaus nodded with difficulty against her skin. Yes, she was right. He did not want it that way, into an elevator_. In my bed, love. _–

"Go. Do not postpone your travel for me." – Caroline surprised him with those words after biting the lobe of his ear and running her hands around his neck. –

So he finally met her eyes, the attraction stronger than everything right there. Kaus pulled her in for another kiss, still keeping his hands on her ass.

"You know what that means, right?" - the crooked smile full of malice was on his lips again - "Endless conversations through the night until dawn." - he came in for another kiss, but it was her who crashed her lips on his first also smiling before he added with a raised eyebrow - "And a glass of champagne in the meantime."

"Wow." - She was given a delightfully playful laugh still clinging to him, making Klaus smile back. The girl pecked his lips twice before asking - "So, what time you'll be at the airport?"

"Early in the morning." - Klaus, unwillingly freed her ass from his touch to hug her waist with a smug smile on his face - "Are you willing to join me?"

"I can't." - Caroline laughed rolling her eyes- "I have to work, remember?"

"Yes, I suppose you have mentioned." - he pretended to think about it. Then it was his turn to peck her lips as he tapped the red button a second time, making the elevator back into operation. So growled softly touching his forehead on hers - "But, do not fool yourself, love. As long as I have a phone, you will be traveling with me."

"Good." - she said beaming while stroking his face in one hand. That was probably their temporary goodbye. _I will miss your lips and everything else_. Caroline bit her lip and whispered bossy looking at his mouth - "Now kiss me hard before you go."

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